The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania revealed a joint federal and state operation aimed at addressing high rates of violent crime and opioid overdoses in Luzerne County's Wilkes-Barre area.
The United States Attorney’s Office, together with the DEA, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department, and the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department carried out Operation Overdrive, an effort to disrupt violent crime and drug trafficking in specific areas of the city.
Thomas Hodnett, the Special Agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division, explained that Operation Overdrive's goal was to disrupt drug-trafficking organizations that pose significant threats to communities. The joint work of law enforcement prevented the distribution of over 531,000 potentially deadly doses of fentanyl in Wilkes-Barre, with gratitude expressed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service for their support and parallel efforts in apprehending violent fugitives across Luzerne County.
Extensive research of 2023 data on violent crime and opioid overdose incidents in Wilkes-Barre identified two specific zones with high occurrences of both types of incidents, making them the most violent parts of the city, accounting for 39% of the violent crimes during the year. These areas also had a higher rate of opioid overdoses, with 35% of such incidents occurring within the city.
Law enforcement agents from federal, state, and local agencies collaborated for six months starting in September 2023 to target drug trafficking organizations operating within Wilkes-Barre, focusing on disrupting, dismantling, and apprehending targets within the identified zones.
The DEA offices in Scranton and Long Island carried out federal search warrants related to the leader of a drug trafficking organization in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Long Island, New York. The searches led to the arrest of four individuals and the confiscation of 7.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 100 counterfeit pills, 3 pounds of highly pure crystal methamphetamine, 100 grams of crack cocaine, and two firearms.
Besides these successful search actions, Operation Overdrive enforcement operations led to the arrest of four other unrelated drug traffickers and the seizure of more than four kilograms of fentanyl, 540 grams of crack cocaine, 640 grams of cocaine, over a kilogram of highly pure crystal methamphetamine, and five additional firearms.
While these actions were happening, the United States Marshals Service conducted Operation Washout, a simultaneous effort to locate and arrest violent fugitives hiding in Wilkes-Barre and nearby areas of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force apprehended 43 fugitives, all of whom were violent offenders with active arrest warrants. One of them has been formally charged by a federal grand jury in Scranton for drug trafficking and firearms possession discovered during the arrest. Another fugitive captured during the operation is being federally investigated for similar crimes.
Out of the individuals arrested by the United States Marshals Service, five were sought for homicide, five for firearms-related crimes (apart from the homicide suspects), nine for narcotics offenses, and six for sex-related felonies. The United States Marshals Service also confiscated six firearms; ½ kilogram of fentanyl; 27 grams of heroin; 74 grams of cocaine/crack cocaine; and over 350 grams of very pure crystal methamphetamine during the arrests.
U.S. Marshal William Pugh stated, “Operation Washout has successfully targeted and apprehended dangerous fugitives, removing threats from our streets. Working alongside Operation Overdrive demonstrates law enforcement’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities.”
The coordination of law enforcement efforts has led to notable reductions in drug-related violence and opioid poisonings in Wilkes-Barre. For instance, from January 2023 through February 2023, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department reported 15 violent crime incidents (33 violent crimes per 100,000 persons) and 20 opioid poisonings (45 per 100,000 persons). In comparison, from January 2024 through February 2024, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department reported 11 violent crime incidents (24 violent crimes per 100,000 persons) and eight opioid poisonings (18 opioid poisonings per 100,000 persons).
More specifically, Zone 1 had 0 violent crime incidents and two opioid poisonings while Zone 2 had one violent crime incident and 0 opioid poisonings. That’s a 100% decrease of violent crime in Zone 1 and a 50% decrease in opioid poisonings, while Zone 2 showed a 67% decrease in violent crime and a 100 percent decrease in opioid poisonings.
Chief Joseph Coffay of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department expressed gratitude, stating, “The City of Wilkes-Barre and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department appreciate the efforts of the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This successful operation could not have been achieved without the combined efforts of local, state and federal authorities.”
Operation Overdrive, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wilkes-Barre City Police, and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and Operation Washout, conducted by the United States Marshals Service in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Parole Office, were both part of the related law enforcement operations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley serving as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and representing the United States Attorney.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a program that brings 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 started a strategy to reduce violent crime based on these core principles: building trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from happening, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
These criminal cases were also part of a district wide effort to fight the nationwide problem of heroin use and distribution. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative focuses on heroin traffickers in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to find, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in heroin-related crimes.
offenses.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are just accusations. All persons charged are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
