SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Monroe County man was sentenced today to 37 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Edwin M. Kosik for heroin trafficking and firearms charges and a second man involved in the same case pleaded guilty.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Joseph Crawford, age 41, of Marshalls Creek, pleaded guilty in January 2015 to the charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. Crawford and Harry Rivera, age 39, of East Stroudsburg, were indicted by a grand jury in Scranton in November 2014.
The charges stemmed from an incident on June 17, 2014, in Monroe County, in which investigators found approximately 97 grams of heroin in a hidden compartment in a vehicle in which Crawford and Rivera were travelling. Police also seized a Glock pistol and a Smith &Wesson rifle after a search of Crawford’s residence in Marshall’s Creek. Crawford, who was previously convicted of a felony offense, is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Senior Judge Kosik also ordered that Crawford be supervised by a probation officer for three years following his release from prison.
Rivera pleaded guilty today before Senior Judge Kosik to the charge of aiding the possession with intent to distribute heroin. The guilty plea was pursuant to a plea agreement filed by the government in June 2015.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
# # #
