HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Adam Neftali Santana, age 37, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted on November 10, 2021, following a three-day trial before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson of conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, attempted possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the investigation uncovered a drug trafficking operation where at least eight boxes that contained cocaine was mailed from Puerto Rico to Santana’s residence. A search warrant was then executed at Santana’s residence where authorities seized a digital scale, a Glock 9mm pistol, numerous pistol magazines and ammunition were located in the master bedroom. Additional packaging consistent with a seized parcel was also found which indicated earlier cocaine deliveries.
The case was investigated jointly by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Ford and Christian Haugsby are prosecuting the case.
Santana faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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