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 Jerrod Curtis, age 42, Paul Daniel Chavis, a/k/a “Payne,” age 56, and Reneard Harris, age 68, all of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were convicted on September 10, 2026, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and other drug trafficking offenses following a two-week trial before United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Curtis operated a drug-trafficking organization from his barbershop in Wilkes-Barre, PA.  Between February of 2024 through June of 2024, he and the other defendants conspired to distribute large amounts of controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.  The jury further found that defendants committed the following criminal offenses during the course of the conspiracy:

  • On January 22, 2025, Chavis distributed and possessed with intent to distribute five grams and more of actual methamphetamine; 
  • On April 15, 2025, Chavis distributed and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine; 
  • On April 19, 2025, Curtis and Harris used a communication facility to facilitate the commission of a drug trafficking crime; and
  • On April 30, 2025, and May 26, 2025, Curtis used a communication facility to facilitate the commission of a drug trafficking crime.

During the investigation, DEA and other law enforcement agents recovered over 10 kilograms of fentanyl from members of the conspiracy as well as large quantities of other controlled substances. 

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department, the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Buchanan and Anthony Williamson prosecuted the case. 

In this case, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.  A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. 

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