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 Justin Passetti, age 31, of Kingsley, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 14, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 36 months’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Passetti previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute high-quality crystal methamphetamine in the Susquehanna County area in March 2020. The charge stems from an incident on March 11, 2020, in which the Pennsylvania State Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Passetti was an occupant. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of five pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting 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 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.
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