Schuylkill County man pleads guilty in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking
Sep. 21—A Schuylkill County man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Scranton to a charge of possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Scranton announced Thursday that Javier Guzman, 51, entered the plea before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Guzman admitted to possessing between 50 and 200 grams of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for distribution in the Schuylkill County area in 2022.
The charge stems from a probe in which investigators made purchases of high-quality crystal meth from Guzman in March 2022 in Schuylkill County.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O'Hara prosecuted the case.
Under federal law, the charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release and a fine.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge.
The Guzman case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer.
In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.
