The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Nov. 14 that three Philadelphia men have been charged in federal court with distribution of fentanyl and cocaine in Lebanon, related firearms violations, and criminal conspiracy.
Gerard Karam, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said that 25-year-old Franklin Sael Gonzalez, 22-year-old Ricardo Batista, and 22-year-old Tazwell Berrios were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Harrisburg.
The indictment alleges that Gonzalez, Batista, and Berrios conspired to possess and distribute “40 grams [about 1.4 oz.] and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl … and cocaine” between Oct. 10 and 15, 2022, in Lebanon County.
The three are also charged with illegally possessing a 5.7 x 28 mm pistol during their drug trafficking activities.
Each defendant faces a potential life in prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police as 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 our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner.
Court records available at publication time did not list any scheduled court appearances for the defendants.
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