Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 151 Months In Prison For Federal Heroin Trafficking Offense

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Luzerne County man was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, to serve 151 months (12 years and 7 months) in prison for heroin trafficking. 

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Pedro Noriega, age 42, of Plymouth, Luzerne County, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. He was indicted by a grand jury in August 2015.

Investigators had arranged to make a purchase of heroin from Noriega, obtained a search warrant for his residence, on West Main Street in Plymouth, and seized approximately 495 bags of suspected heroin, a quantity of raw heroin, packaging materials and drug paraphernalia from a bedroom in the residence. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Mannion noted the defendant’s previous criminal history which included multiple drug trafficking convictions.

The investigation was conducted by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI) of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.

Judge Mannion also ordered that Noriega be supervised by a probation officer for a period of three years following his release from prison. 

This case 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.

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