Hector Alvarez, a 37-year-old resident of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking offenses. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion after Alvarez was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the events leading to Alvarez’s arrest began on February 3, 2022. Law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance at a residence in Hazle Township when they observed Alvarez leaving the location carrying a grocery bag. Officers followed him as he drove away and saw him throw the bag into a garbage can from his car window. Upon retrieving the bag, officers found empty vacuum-sealed bags that are typically used for packaging large quantities of methamphetamine.
Officers attempted to stop Alvarez, but he did not respond to emergency alerts and instead drove to his home on McKinley Street in Hazleton. After fleeing from his vehicle, Alvarez was apprehended following a brief foot chase. During his flight, he discarded a box containing 600 glassine packets of fentanyl.
Further investigation led officers to seize additional glassine packets of fentanyl from Alvarez’s vehicle that matched those previously recovered. A search of the Hazle Township residence resulted in the seizure of 26 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 90 grams of fentanyl, and 37 grams of crack cocaine.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and Hazleton City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus.
"This case is 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," said officials in a statement. "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."
Officials also noted that this prosecution falls under a district-wide initiative aimed at addressing heroin use and distribution in the region. "This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin," according to authorities. "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."
