Davon Anthony Beckford, a 30-year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani on January 24, 2025. Beckford will also face five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus reported that Beckford moved from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Phoenix, Arizona around January 2020. In Arizona, he connected with a source for fentanyl pills and established a drug trafficking network with former associates in Luzerne County. He distributed large quantities of fentanyl pills through the U.S. Postal Service to these associates.
In February 2021, a 27-year-old woman died after ingesting a fentanyl pill distributed by Beckford's network in Wilkes-Barre. This incident led to Beckford's indictment by a grand jury in Scranton on February 15, 2022. He pled guilty to the charges on March 1, 2023.
The investigation involved collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an initiative led by the United States Attorney’s Office aimed at combating heroin and fentanyl distribution across Pennsylvania's Middle District. It aligns with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which focuses on reducing violent crime and enhancing community safety through coordinated law enforcement efforts.
