New York Man Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine Trafficking In Susquehanna County

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roy Niles, age 58, of Nineveh, New York, pleaded guilty on October 26, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Niles admitted to conspiring with another individual to distribute between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the Susquehanna County area in March 2020.  The charge stems from an incident in March 2020, in which Niles arranged to purchase several pounds of crystal methamphetamine from another individual in Susquehanna County.  After the methamphetamine was received by Niles, the Pennsylvania State Police moved in and attempted to arrest him.  Niles fled from the police and led police on a high-speed chase from Pennsylvania into New York.  Niles was later apprehended.

The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police.  The New York State Police also provided assistance during the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.

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. 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.

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