Five Individuals Indicted For Fentanyl And Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on Eric Hill, age 31, of Plymouth, Candacelee Ellis, age 34, of Plymouth, PA, Thomas Evanchik, age 40, of Kingston, PA, Casey VanGorder, age 25, of Wilkes-Barre, PA, and Casey Read, age 37, of Wilkes-Barre, PA, were indicted on August 11, 2020, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking. The case was unsealed following the arrest of  defendants.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that defendants conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and additional amounts of heroin in the Luzerne County area between January 2017 and the present. 

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.

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

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under federal law, the drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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