Lancaster man busted with stolen gun and opioids gets up to 13 years behind bars
LANCASTER, PA – A Lancaster man who stockpiled drugs and a stolen handgun with a scratched-off serial number inside his home will serve up to 13 years in state prison following his sentencing earlier this month in Lancaster County Court.
Anthony Diaz, 31, was sentenced Monday to five to 13 years behind bars after pleading guilty to several felony drug and firearm charges stemming from a police raid at his East Strawberry Street home in January. The investigation revealed Diaz was actively dealing synthetic opioids and storing the weapon despite being banned from owning one due to a previous felony conviction.
During sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Sarah Hansen argued that Diaz’s deliberate effort to obtain a stolen firearm with an altered serial number demonstrated a clear threat to public safety. She urged Judge Dennis Reinaker to deliver a harsh penalty, which the court upheld.
The firearm, which police later confirmed was stolen, was discovered hidden alongside ammunition, 50 oral films of synthetic opioids, several packages of suspected synthetic cannabinoids known as K2, and dozens of empty drug baggies. Authorities also found 20 grams of marijuana not in legal dispensary packaging, despite Diaz having a medical marijuana card.
Prosecutors said the obliterated serial number on the handgun could have made it untraceable if used in a crime. Investigators were able to recover the number with difficulty. The search warrant was issued after surveillance confirmed suspected drug activity at Diaz’s home on at least five occasions.
Diaz was convicted in 2016 for felony burglary, which legally prohibited him from owning firearms. Still, he admitted to keeping the stolen weapon “for protection,” according to his defense attorney. During sentencing, Diaz told the court he wanted to turn his life around and become “an honest man.”
He pleaded guilty in July to multiple charges, including two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number, receiving stolen property, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The case was prosecuted by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office and investigated by Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer Kevin Golinsky.