SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonathyn White, a/k/a “Jay,” age 28, of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to a term of 7 years’ imprisonment for his role in a fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, White pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy on May 30, 2023, and admitted that beginning in 2019 and continuing to July of 2021, he conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 40 grams but less than 160 grams of fentanyl throughout Monroe County. His sentence was also enhanced because he maintained a premise for the purpose of storing and distributing fentanyl.
Judge Mannion also ordered White to serve a term of 8 years of supervised release following release from custody.
This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid 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.
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