Luzerne County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearm Offenses

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Adams, age 31, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 16, 2023, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about January 26, 2023, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Adams possessed with the intent to distribute marijuana, as well as four firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.  The indictment further alleges that Adams possessed the firearms after knowing that he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  The firearms include: a black 9mm Taurus Model G36 pistol, a 9mm Lorcin Model L9 pistol, a .22 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 61-3 pistol, and a .380 caliber Davis Industries Model P370, all firearms having been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.

The matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Kingston Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.  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.

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

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