Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Possessing A Firearm

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 10, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Jeremy Anderson, age 28, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to a term of 60 months' imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Anderson pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on April 3, 2024. Anderson was the target of a DEA investigation during which he sold heroin and fentanyl on three occasions. Agents obtained a federal search warrant, and on July 15, 2021, searched Anderson's West Hazleton residence, vehicle, and a storage unit. The search resulted in the seizure of 10 grams of fentanyl; a loaded Ruger 9 mm pistol; and $28,457. Anderson was interviewed by agents and admitted selling "pre-packaged bundles" of narcotics to a "short list of customers."

This case was jointly investigated by the DEA and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney's Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid 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.

This case is 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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