Source: United States Department of Justice News
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jose Torres, age 27, and Luis Gonzalez, age 26, of Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury for cocaine trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Torres and Gonzalez with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on September 29, 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
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.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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