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 February 1, 2024, United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Luis Polanco-Lopez, age 29, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, to 42 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl.  Judge Mannion also ordered Polanco-Lopez to serve three years on supervised release after the conclusion of his prison sentence.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, during the spring of 2022, Polanco-Lopez sold 1000, and on a second occasion 500, counterfeit prescription pills during controlled purchase operations conducted by law enforcement agents. The counterfeit prescription medication contained fentanyl, a dangerous and potentially lethal opioid. In all, Polanco-Lopez sold a total of 7.063 grams of pure fentanyl in the counterfeit pills, which is 3,531 doses of potentially fatal fentanyl.

The matter was investigated by the DEA with assistance provided by the Kingston, Pennsylvania Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and fentanyl 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.

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.

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