Jamell R. O’Neal, 42, of East Meadow, New York, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley on August 22, 2025. Following his incarceration, O’Neal will serve a five-year term of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that between September 2023 and February 2024, federal agents investigated illegal drug trafficking activities in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Surveillance conducted by agents showed O’Neal and a co-conspirator engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions on September 20 and September 22 from at least two residences in the city. Another transaction was observed on January 16, 2024.
On February 7, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at one of the residences where O’Neal was present and subsequently taken into custody. Authorities recovered crack cocaine, fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, and drug paraphernalia.
“This case is 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,” said Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus.
The investigation was led by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case.
