Lackawanna County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking

 SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jean Quinones, age 25, of Scranton, of Pennsylvania, was indicted on September 29, 2020, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Quinones with attempt to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine on September 4, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Inspectors, United States Customs and Border Patrol and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

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

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.

Under federal law, the drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of forty years in prison, 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 also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.