SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dario George, age 31, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges George with four counts of distribution of fentanyl and/or cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. The offenses occurred between November 23, 2021 and May 19, 2022, in Luzerne County.
The charges against George resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also 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 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, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 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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