The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday that Jose Miguel Peralta, Jr., 35, of Shenandoah, was indicted by a federal grand jury for fentanyl trafficking in Luzerne County.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Peralta with one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. 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.
Under federal law, for the fentanyl trafficking charges, Peralta faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release and a fine. For the firearms charge, Peralta faces a maximum sentence of 15 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.