Department of Justice

SCRANTON, Pa — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jose Miguel Peralta, Jr., 35, of Shenandoah, was indicted by a federal grand jury for fentanyl trafficking in Luzerne County.

According to U.S. 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, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. 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. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

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.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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