Christopher Texidor, a 37-year-old resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to over 24 years in prison for his involvement in a large-scale marijuana trafficking operation. The sentencing was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on December 11, 2024. Texidor's conviction includes charges related to drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and violence.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Texidor was found guilty after a six-day jury trial in May 2024. "Judge Wilson relied upon the evidence introduced at the trial when noting that this was more than just an illicit marijuana trafficking operation," said Karam. "According to the Judge, Texidor engaged in dangerous and violent conduct that endangered the community."

The court heard evidence that between October 2018 and May 2020, Texidor and his associates ran a marijuana smuggling ring from Fastlane Auto Sales on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. They arranged for parcels of marijuana to be sent from California through U.S. Mail and used GPS tracking devices to monitor their shipments. The operation reportedly brought over 9,000 pounds of marijuana worth millions into the Harrisburg area.

Texidor and his co-defendants employed violence to protect their enterprise. In late 2019, they hired gunmen to target a suspected thief who had been stealing their shipments. Incidents included shooting into occupied homes and robbing the suspect at gunpoint.

In addition to drug-related charges, Texidor faced penalties for pandemic-related unemployment fraud. While awaiting trial for drug trafficking, he submitted a fraudulent application for pandemic relief funds, obtaining over $20,000 illegally.

Several of Texidor's co-defendants have pleaded guilty and received various sentences: Jamie Valenzuela was sentenced to 57 months; Jose Laboy received 108 months; Jonathan Cobaugh got 63 months; Julio Arellano was sentenced to 156 months; while William Kuduk and Justin Laboy are awaiting sentencing.

The investigation involved multiple agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Scott Ford led the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated law enforcement efforts.