A federal grand jury in Erie, Pa., indicted 25 people charged with violating federal narcotics laws.
A seven-count indictment, that was returned May 10 and unsealed May 12, named 20 residents of Erie, one resident of Meadville, Pa., one resident of Vineland, N.J., one resident of Orlando, Fla., and two residents of Puerto Rico in the formal accusation, a Department of Justice news release said.
“These arrests disrupted a criminal conspiracy that posed a tremendous threat to the city. Our message is clear: illegal drugs and the violence they often bring with them have no place in this community,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall said in the release. “I am extremely proud of the collaborative efforts put forth by the dedicated personnel of my office and the partners on the FBI’s EAGLE Task Force. We are committed to working side by side with our state, local and federal partners to rid our communities of violent drug offenders and the destruction their activities create.”
Several of the indicted are accused of engaging in “an inter-territorial, multi-kilogram, cocaine distribution conspiracy” plus engaging “in interstate money laundering transactions,” from approximately January 2020 to May 2022, the news release said. Others are accused of engaging “in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, hundreds of grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine” from approximately February 2020 to May 2022. During that time, others facilitated a business enterprise that distributed illegal narcotics such as 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Still others distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“The Erie Police Department is proud to work together with all our partnering agencies on this important investigation,” Erie Police Chief Daniel Spizarny Sr. said in the release. “Taking down large drug organizations such as this one requires multiple resources that no one agency can do alone. Working together makes our community safe and secure.”
Agencies working on the investigation included the Erie police, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Erie County District Attorney’s Drug Taskforce, Erie County Detectives and the Titusville, Millcreek, Oil City and Franklin police departments.
“The law-abiding, hard-working people of Erie deserve safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods," U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung said in the release. "Through the collaboration of the agencies represented here today, we have dismantled a dangerous drug trafficking organization operating in Erie County.”
