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 on August 27, 2020, Truman Jones, age 45, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 211 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for heroin and crack cocaine trafficking and firearms offenses.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Jones was convicted by a jury of all counts charged in the indictment: one count of conspiring to distribute 100 grams and more of heroin and crack cocaine, seven counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

The evidence presented at trial showed that between the summer of 2015 and February 2016, Jones worked with several other individuals to distribute hundreds of grams of heroin and crack cocaine, often mixed with other controlled substances, including fentanyl, tramadol, and cocaine, in the Wilkes-Barre area.  During a search warrant executed at a drug house maintained by Jones and another member of his conspiracy, the United States seized three loaded firearms, approximately 90 grams of heroin, and over $4,600.  As a felon, Jones was prohibited from possessing firearms.

At sentencing, Jones was held accountable for at least 400 grams of heroin, which is the equivalent of approximately 16,000 potentially fatal doses of heroin, and for maintaining a drug stash house used to store, package, and sell narcotics.  In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Mannion also highlighted Jones’s role as the leader of his drug trafficking organization, extensive criminal history, and the presence of young children when he was caught packaging heroin during a search warrant execution.

As part of the sentence, Judge Mannion forfeited two firearms and ammunition seized from Jones, multiple electronics, and $4,642.  Investigators recovered and forfeited other firearms and ammunition from other codefendants.

Jones is the last defendant to be sentenced in this investigation.  Five other members of his drug ring previously were sentenced after pleading guilty:

  1. Davon Beckford, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to time served of approximately 13 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.  After violating the terms of his supervised release, Beckford was sentenced to an additional 6 months’ imprisonment.
  2. Jaquan Henderson, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
  3. Stephanie Walter, of Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two years’ probation.
  4. Al Dunlap, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
  5. Na’Deardra Mayhams, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case also is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

This case further was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  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.

 

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