SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Patrick Russin, age 55, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Russin previously pled guilty to conspiring with his co-defendants Jamie Smicherko, Ryan Medar, Carlos Laurel, and others to distribute controlled substances in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania between October of 2023 to April of 2024. As part of that plea, Russin also admitted that he was responsible for distributing or possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and over 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.Co-defendants Jamie Smicherko pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; Ryan Medar was sentenced to134 months in prison; and Carlos Laurel was sentenced to 27 months in prison.The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Plains Township Police Depart, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.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.This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.# # #