The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonathan Livers, age 35, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this week, to 26 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distributing heroin.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Livers was part of a drug trafficking organization that was trafficking quantities of heroin acquired from New York City and brought to Allentown, Pennsylvania. After arriving in Allentown, members of the drug trafficking organization sold the heroin in and around Allentown as well as areas in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Livers was responsible for distributing between 40 and 60 grams of heroin.
Codefendants of Livers received the following sentences:
- Robert Birch, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams and more of heroin, and was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment followed by four years supervised release;
- Jessica Schafer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, and was sentenced to two years’ probation with a condition requiring 6 months’ home confinement;
- Deovonie Birch, a/k/a Deovonie Johnson, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, and was sentenced to time-served (31 months and 12 days) imprisonment followed by three years supervised release with a condition requiring six months of home confinement; and,
- Dysheim Birch, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted 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.
This case is also 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.
Original source can be found here.
