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Drug Trafficking

Murder Attempt Of DEA Agent Lands PA Man Federal Charges: USDOJ Murder Attempt Of DEA Agent Lands PA Man Federal Charges: USDOJ
Murder Attempt Of DEA Agent Lands PA Man Federal Charges: Usdoj A Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges for the attempted murder and assault of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent during a shooting in Pittsburgh, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania announced on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Drew Gordon, 22, is accused of firing 18 shots at a DEA special agent in the Carrick area of Pittsburgh on Aug. 30, 2024. While the agent was unharmed, their vehicle was struck multiple times, federal investigators said. Gordon has been indicted on five counts, including attempted murder, assault of a federal officer with a deadly …
PA Man Arrested For Dealing Cocaine After $66K Seized: DA PA Man Arrested For Dealing Cocaine After $66K Seized: DA
PA Man Arrested For Dealing Cocaine After $66K Seized: DA A Lancaster man accused of dealing cocaine was arrested after authorities seized more than $66,000 in cash and cocaine from his home, the Lancaster County Drug Task Force announced Monday, Dec. 2 Alex Yamil Ramos-Flores, 28, is charged with Felony Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, officials said. Detectives, with help from Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police, raided Ramos-Flores’ home in the 400 block of Fairview Avenue on Nov. 6. They uncovered 14 grams of powder cocaine worth $1,400, two loaded pistol mag…
Lancaster Raid Busts Man With $19K In Cocaine, Meth, Mushrooms, Guns: DA Lancaster Raid Busts Man With $19K In Cocaine, Meth, Mushrooms, Guns: DA
Lancaster Raid Busts Man With $19K In Cocaine, Meth, Mushrooms, Guns: DA A Lancaster man is accused of dealing more than $19,000 in illegal drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms, authorities announced. Josiah McClarence-Giddons, 30, was charged with multiple felonies, including possession with intent to deliver cocaine, methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms, after a search warrant was executed at his home in the 600 block of East Madison Street on Tuesday, Nov. 14, according to the Lancaster County Drug Task Force. Agents with the Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police said they seized…
Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA
Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA An accused cocaine dealer has been arrested in Lancaster City, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced. Victor Casado, 51, was charged with Felony Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Felony Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after a search warrant was executed at his home, authorities said on Monday, Nov. 25. Drug Task Force agents, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the search on Oct. 8 at Casado’s residence in the 200 block of East Ross Street. During the raid, …
Homeland Security Investigation Leads To $294K Cocaine Bust In PA Homeland Security Investigation Leads To $294K Cocaine Bust In PA
Homeland Security Investigation Leads To $294K Cocaine Bust In PA A joint investigation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led to the arrest of a Columbia man and the seizure of more than $294,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana, the Lancaster County Drug Task Force announced on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Roderick Gonzalez-Perez, of the 800 block of Blunston Street, was arrested on Oct. 4 after authorities intercepted a package containing over five kilograms of cocaine en route to his home from Puerto Rico. The package, addressed to “Senior Perez,” was flagged during transit, prompting a collaborative investigation by the Drug Task Force and HSI. Af…
Traffic Stop Uncovers 12 Pounds Of Marijuana: PA State Police Gettysburg Traffic Stop Uncovers 12 Pounds Of Marijuana: PA State Police Gettysburg
Traffic Stop Uncovers 12 Pounds Of Marijuana: PA State Police Gettysburg A Camp Hill man was arrested after allegedly being caught trafficking 12 pounds of marijuana in Adams County, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Thursday, Nov. 16. Christopher Arnett, 42, was stopped by troopers in a 2024 Chrysler speeding through Tyrone Township late Thursday night, police said in a release. During the traffic stop, officers reportedly discovered Arnett was in possession of 12 pounds of marijuana and intended to distribute it. Arnett has been charged with possession with intent to deliver, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, and speeding, according to state police. …
PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities
PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities A Philadelphia-area drug boss and 19 other members of a trafficking organization were arrested in a large-scale drug bust, authorities said in a Tuesday, Nov. 19 news release. Anthony “Bang” Blake, 45, of Philadelphia, and 19 others are facing various drug trafficking charges after dozens of search warrants were executed in the Philadelphia area and parts of New Jersey in early November, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office news release states. The drug bust resulted in the seizure of: 20 firearms. 12.5 pounds of cocaine. $72,356 cash. Quantities of fentanyl, MDMA, promethazine with…
PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities
PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities A Philadelphia man was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for possessing 36 kilograms of fentanyl and running two drug houses with a citizen of the Dominican Republic, authorities said. Gabriel Rivera-Otero, 42, also known as "Carlos Vasquez" and "Gustavo," was sentenced to about 24-and-a-half years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, according to a Department of Justice news release on Monday, Oct. 28. A Dominican Republic man, Angel Reyes-Valdez, 47, also known as "Abel Anton Alberto Nunez," was sentenced with Rivera-Otero, the news release states. Reyes-Valdez was senten…
Mexican Drug Cartel Linked To Methamphetamine Sales Across Central PA, 55 People Charged: DA Mexican Drug Cartel Linked To Methamphetamine Sales Across Central PA, 55 People Charged: DA
Mexican Drug Cartel Linked To Methamphetamine Sales Across Central PA, 55 People Charged: DA Methamphetamine, which is believed to have been produced by Mexican drug cartels, has charges against 55 people in Central Pennsylvania, the Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced on Wednesday, Sept. 11.  The charges are the results of "Operation Speed Bump" as a reference to stopping "speed" a nickname for meth from coming into the Commonwealth.  The operation began in January 2024 after multiple overdoses from a higher quality meth. "What the detectives are telling me is that the quality of the methamphetamine they are seizing is consistent with me…
Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court
Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court A 60-year-old man from Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, authorities said. James Pearcy pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson on Aug. 20, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. From January 2021 to around June 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pearcy conspired with others to deal cocaine, Olshan said. Pearcy was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine that he distributed to others, he said. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.  Pearcy faces a…
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Six men were charged with trafficking millions of dollars in methamphetamine and cocaine by concealing them inside Bluetooth karaoke speakers and shipping them from California to Bucks County, authorities said. This multifaceted investigation by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Attorney General’s Office resulted in the dismantling of the Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization, led by Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall in Delaware County, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn announced on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The Charged Suspects …
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK 23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK Federal agents at JFK Airport seized a 23-year-old Taiwanese national who the Justice Department said owned and operated a dark web drug bazaar that produced well over $100 million in sales. The “Incognito Market” created by Rui-Siang Lin enabled its users to anonymously buy and sell drugs around the globe for nearly 3½ years, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and other federal officials announced on Monday, May 20. Lin -- also known as Ruisiang Lin, 林睿庠, Pharoah, and faro – mastermineded a clandestine e-commerce network where buyers could browse thousands of listings for heroin, LSD, …
2 Cumberland County Men Indicted For Gun, Drug Trafficking: USDOJ 2 Cumberland County Men Indicted For Gun, Drug Trafficking: USDOJ
William L. Nalley Jr., Rafael Orihuela Indicted Two Cumberland County men have been indicted on drug and gun trafficking charges, the Middlesex Township Police Department on Tuesday, May 7.  William L. Nalley Jr., 27 of Boiling Springs; and Rafael Orihuela, 22 of Carlisle, were indicted by a federal grand jury "on charges related to the distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of firearms," the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Wednesday, May 1.  United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained the following about the case: "The indictment alleges tha…
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Ghost guns, methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms stuffed inside a protein powder breakfast shake container were all found at a Littiz's man's home by the Lancaster Drug Task Force, the district attorney announced on Monday, April 1.  Timothy Jason Sherrin, 41 of the 500 block of Greenhowe Drive, had allegedly stuffed the mushrooms in a Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate package and had other illegal items throughout his home, as discovered during the warranted search at 2:24 p.m. on March 21, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Offic…
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: Usdoj A federal grand jury indicted a Luzerne County man on drug trafficking charges this week, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Benjamin Woytas, 34, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is accused of distributing methamphetamine in Luzerne County in August 2023, said USA Gerard Karam in a release.  The maximum penalty for the charges is a 40-year prison term followed by supervised release and a fine, prosecutors said.  In addition to the FBI, the county Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Woytas was charged with drug possession in Hudson County, New Jersey, in 2020.&nb…
PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says
PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says A year-long manhunt for a suspect accused of attempting to murder three police officers has ended — as part of a drug trafficking bust, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Thursday night.  A search warrant on Spring Street in Pittsburgh led Allegheny County and local law enforcement officers to arrest 24-year-old Bruce Harvard on Feb. 28,  AG Henry detailed in the release.  He was wanted for shooting at a McKees Rock Police Officer and two Office of Attorney General agents during an attempted vehicle stop in Stowe Township on Feb. 27, 2023, the AG explaine…
Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police
Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police Lower Allen police are looking for an accused fentanyl dealer in connection with a deadly overdose last year.  Major Mahari Winfield Defreitas, 20, is wanted for drug delivery resulting in death and possession with intent to deliver, authorities said.  Police were called about a suspected overdose on Rosemont Avenue in Camp Hill last Oct. 11, the department said. First responders rendered life-saving aid but the 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.  His cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl toxicity, officials said. Invest…
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: Usdoj A Warminster man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in York County, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Matthew Moss, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 270 grams of meth for distribution, said prosecutors in a release.  Investigators said they went undercover and purchased 140 grams from Moss in York County in November 2021. He fled when they tried to arrest him and led authorities on a vehicle and foot chase, officials said.  When captured, Moss had an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure meth in his …
Cocaine, Loaded Gun Seized From Suspended PA Driver, Passenger In Westminster Stop: Sheriff Cocaine, Loaded Gun Seized From Suspended PA Driver, Passenger In Westminster Stop: Sheriff
Cocaine, Loaded Gun Seized From Suspended PA Driver, Passenger In Westminster Stop: Sheriff A loaded gun, cocaine, cash and drug paraphernalia were seized from a Pennsylvania man and his passenger in a Carroll County stop over the weekend, police said. A Carroll County sheriff's deputy was patrolling along Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster, when he spotted a blue Ford Mustang speeding past vehicles in the right turn lane around 3:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, the county sheriff's office said. The Deputy initiated a traffic stop and found the driver’s license being suspended and several indicators of drug use. The Deputy requested a K9 scan of the vehicle, however, drug paraphernali…
Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA
Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA Two Philadelphia men and approximately 400,000 doses of drugs were taken off the streets in an undercover operation by the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Drug Enforcement Administration–Philadelphia Field Division, Pennsylvania State Police–Drug Law Team, Upper Merion Township Department of Public Safety, and the Montgomery County District Attorney's office according to a joint release on Friday, Jan. 25.  Richard Nunez, 45, and Javier Cornelio Fabian, 43, were arrested on Thursday on "multiple felony charges related to oper…
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years A drug kingpin who headed a network that slung fentanyl and meth in South Jersey and the suburbs of Philadelphia while he hid from his pursuers was sentenced Thursday to a plea-bargained 18 years in federal prison. Glenn Long, 29, of Philadelphia, must serve just about all of the time he received in U.S. District Court in Camden on Jan. 4 because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Long – known on the street as “Bless” and “Max” – ran the operation as a fugitive for three years while under a federal indictment for major drug trafficking out of Philadelphia. A second drug conspi…
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: USDOJ Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: USDOJ
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: Usdoj More than seven years after a triple homicide in Pennsylvania, a Maryland man has been brought to justice.  Johnny Jenkins-Armstrong, 26 of Baltimore, MD was sentenced to life in prison and an additional consecutive 20 years for a "companion robbery charge," the United States Department of Justice stated in a release on Tuesday, Dec. 5.  His December 4th sentencing was for his role in the execution-style slayings of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39 of Hagerstown, MD; Brandon Cole, 47 of Fayetteville, PA; and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36 of Mercersburg, PA, United States Attorne…
Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring
Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring The seventh and final member of a drug smuggling ring that ran from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania — has been convicted, according to a release by the US Department of Justice on Nov. 16.  Moniqua Ramirez, 44, has been found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. She was convicted at the end of a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Ramirez, along with six other Puerto Ricans conspired to smuggle kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into Central Pennsylvania using the US Post…
Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says
Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says Charges filed in a drug bust that has halted the "Philadelphia to Lancaster fentanyl pipeline," District Attorney Heather Adams announced on Wednesday, Nov. 8.  Louis Angel Cruz, 42 of the 600 block of S. Ann Street, Lancaster; Michael Beck, 41 of the first block of Crystal Drive, Manheim; and Heather Wagner, 30 of the first block of Crystal Drive, Manheim; were all charged on Oct. 31 in connection with an organized drug operation running from Philadelphia to Lancaster, the District Attorney's office detailed in a release. The Drug Task Force and Lancaster City Bureau of Police be…
Pennsylvania Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police Pennsylvania Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police
Pennsylvania Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police Atlantic City police conducted surveillance that resulted in the arrest of two men — including one from Philadelphia — and the recovery of a handgun and assorted drugs, authorities said. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Detectives Christopher Dodson and James Barrett were conducting surveillance in the first block of south Mansion Avenue when they allegedly observed Malik Jones of Atlantic City and Camron Izzard of Philadelphia appearing to be dealing drugs, police said. Detectives watched as Jones was inside of a parked vehicle with Izzard. The detectives converged after finding that Jones had an …
$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG $1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG
$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG A New York man is accused of bringing almost half a million doses of fentanyl into Pennsylvania, authorities say.  Yan Carlos Pichardo Cepeda, 27, was arrested by state agents and Allegheny County authorities and arraigned on Friday, Sept. 1, Attorney General Michelle Henry's Office said.  Pichardo Cepeda was spotted avoiding police officers and canine units when he arrived in Pittsburgh from New York, prosecutors said. He consented to a search of his backpack, where police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl. Eight more kilograms of fentanyl — or 450,000 doses — wer…
PA Man On Run AGAIN After Striking Police Car During Chase, Authorities Say PA Man On Run AGAIN After Striking Police Car During Chase, Authorities Say
PA Man On Run Again After Striking Police Car During Chase, Authorities Say A convicted drug dealer is on the run — again, authorities say.  Arthur William Carter Jr. has run from police during drug, traffic, and related offenses in 2010, 2015, and 2018, court records show.  On July 21, 2023, he was at it, this time he failed to stop at a stop sign and fleed "onto a dead-end roadway. Carter then made a U-turn and proceeded to crash into the marked Police vehicle and (continued) to flee," the Swatara Township police stated in a release the following Monday.  The 44-year-old is wanted for felony aggravated assault, felony fleeing or attempting to elud…
Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say
Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say A 41-year-old Philadelphia man was apparently not in the mood to cooperate with officers who stopped in Lititz and found his crack cocaine, according to a release by police on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Helbert E. Mercado was stopped by Lititz Borough police for a traffic violation in the 200 block of East Market Street at 12:36 p.m. on July 9, 2023, according to the police release.  Mercado gave the officers a false name and "physically resisted officers' attempts to place him under arrest," as stated in the release.  The officers soon "discovered that Mercado did not obtain perm…
Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next
Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next UPDATE: The second of two brothers who pleaded guilty in the largest drug bust in Atlantic County history -- 45 pounds of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine combined -- was the first to be sentenced. Fourteen years was the best that Ricardo Clavijo, 42, of Egg Harbor Township could get from a plea deal with the federal government. He'll have to serve just about all of it, too, because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Clavijo’s brother, Christopher Gonzalez of Pleasantville, is up for sentencing next. The brothers had more than 20 kilos combined of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine…
FBI Caught Steelton Man Selling Cocaine: Indictment FBI Caught Steelton Man Selling Cocaine: Indictment
FBI Caught Steelton Man Selling Cocaine: Indictment A 30-year-old Steelton man was caught selling cocaine in Harrisburg and Steelton— multiple times—  according to an indictment by the US Department of Justice on Friday, June 2, 2023.  Leron Harris has been indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges on May 31, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Harris "distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine on multiple occasions between August 2022 and March 2023 in Harrisburg and Steelton," according to the indictment. The indictment also…
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs Paterson rapper Fetty Wap caught something of a break on Wednesday. A federal judge sentenced the platinum-selling rapper – whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II – to six years in federal prison on May 24 for his role in a drug-trafficking ring that flooded part of New Jersey and Long Island with cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack. Maxwell had been charged with conspiring to transport more than 100 kilos of the drugs there from the West Coast. Rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial, he took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. Eastern District Court …