The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Javier Guzman, 50, of Pottsville, was indicted on May 17, 2022, by a federal grand jury for methamphetamine trafficking. The indictment was unsealed following Guzman’s arrest.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment charges Guzman with one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute high-quality crystal methamphetamine on March 2 and 10, 2022, in Schuylkill County.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
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.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum sentence under federal law is up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.