Three Philadelphia Men Indicted On Federal Drug Trafficking & Gun Charges
Monday, November 18, 2024, 8:30 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art FletcherL Englebrook Independent News,
HARRISBURG, PA.- Three Philadelphia have been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in an illicit drug trafficking conspiracy for allegedly transporting illicit narcotics from Philadelphia into Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
On Thursday, November 14, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury for the Middle District of Pennsylvania returned an indictment against Franklin Sael Gonzalez, 25, Ricardo Batista, 22, and Tazwell Berrios, 22, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Charging all three men with Drug Trafficking and Firearms offenses.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam and charging information unsealed in the indictment, it is alleged that Gonzalez, Batista, and Berrios conspired with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine beginning on October 10, 2022, and lasting through October 15, 2022, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, specifically in the community of Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
The indictment further alleges that Gonzalez, Batista, and Berrios possessed FN MK2P, 5.7 x 28 mm handgun, during the drug trafficking crimes.
The indictment results from an investigation conducted by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
