SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced the sentencing of Christopher Essameddin Birry, a 43-year-old resident of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. On July 9, 2025, Birry was sentenced to 15 years in prison by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley for charges related to drug trafficking and firearms.
Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus stated that between May 31 and July 27, 2023, Birry distributed methamphetamine multiple times in the Wilkes-Barre area within Luzerne County. On September 11, 2023, during a traffic stop in Olyphant, Lackawanna County, Birry attempted to flee on foot but was captured by law enforcement. He was found with distribution quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and had a loaded handgun. Due to prior felony drug trafficking convictions, Birry was prohibited from possessing a firearm. At the time of this offense, he was on probation for an earlier drug trafficking conviction.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation combines resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Olyphant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Patrick Bannon prosecuted the case.
