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 today that Damar Coad, 20, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for the armed robbery of a federal agent.
According to Unites States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Coad pleaded guilty to robbing the federal agent, who was acting in an undercover capacity, at gunpoint during an operation in Schuylkill County. On September 17, 2020, the Federal agent arranged to meet Coad and John Fidanqui-Marten to purchase approximately $7,500 worth of methamphetamine in Frackville Borough. When the agent approached the two men they demanded the drug buy-money at gunpoint. The agent turned over the money and a high speed chased ensued. Police took the men into custody shortly thereafter.
Fidanqui-Marten, 20, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty for his participation in the robbery on July 5, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Shenandoah Borough Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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