Grimy Times: Luzerne County Man Guilty of Firearms Trafficking
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania – A Luzerne County man has pleaded guilty to using a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. Stephani Taylor, 26, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on February 1, 2019, to the charge before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to the U.S. Attorney, Taylor admitted to stealing firearms and exchanging them for bundles of heroin between December 2016 and September 2017, in Luzerne County. The case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Kingston Police.
Taylor’s codefendant, Michael Wilson, pleaded guilty on January 30, 2019, to distributing heroin and unlawfully possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
The case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.
The maximum penalty under federal law is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine for using or possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for the firearms charge.
Judge Mannion ordered a presentence investigation to be completed. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The case is a part of the Heroin Initiative, which targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin-related offenses.
Taylor must face the consequences of her actions, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who engage in these crimes are held accountable. We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners in bringing this case to justice.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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