Hazleton Men Indicted For Trafficking Heroin And Crystal Methamphetamine

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Daniel Silvestre-Ubri a/k/a Joel DeJesus-Marquez, a/k/a Mayor, age 38, and Willis De La Rosa, a/k/a Joey Reyes Arroyo, a/k/a Willie, age 32, both of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 17, 2016, for drug trafficking offenses.  The indictment remained under seal until both defendants were apprehended, De La Rosa in June 2016 and Silvrestre-Ubri in March 2018. Both men were detained following their initial appearances before the court.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Silvestre-Ubri and De La Rosa with conspiring to distribute heroin and in excess of 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine from February through April 2016.  The indictment also charges Silvestre-Ubri with distributing heroin and crystal methamphetamine on March 24, 2016.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as 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.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

This case also was 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 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.

The penalties under federal law for the most serious offenses are a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, 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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