Justis Shea, a 32-year-old resident of Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. United States District Judge Julia K. Munley imposed the sentence after Shea pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that Shea admitted to possessing fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids (K2) with intent to distribute at a Luzerne County hotel room in June 2024. Additionally, on or about July 2, 2024, Shea was found with a stolen Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle that had previously been shipped across state lines, despite having a prior felony conviction.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kingston Police Department, Wilkes-Barre Police Department, Pittston Police Department, Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, “This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.”
Additionally: “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.”
