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Press Release

Three Luzerne County Men Indicted On Heroin Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Edirso De Leon Frias, age 25, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Nathaniel Murphy, age 41, and Roy Seabrook, age 43, both of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were indicted on February 21, 2017, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.

 

The indictment was unsealed on February 24, 2017, following the arrests of defendants. The defendants were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. and were ordered detained pending a detention hearing.

 

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that De Leon Frias, Murphy, and Seabrook conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. De Leon Frias was allegedly responsible for distributing over 100 grams of heroin (which is the equivalent of approximately 4,000 individual doses).

 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.

 

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 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.

 

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of 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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Updated February 27, 2017

Topic
Drug Trafficking