Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SCRANTON--The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Samuel Lombardo, age 53, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was convicted on April 24, 2018, on drug trafficking and firearms charges after a two-day jury trial held before United States District Court Judge James M. Munley.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the jury returned a verdict of guilty after approximately one hour of deliberations and convicted Lombardo of three felony offenses for distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity. The evidence at trial established that Lombardo sold heroin on August 12, 2015, and again on August 13, 2015, to a confidential informant of the Kingston Police Department. Immediately after the August 13, 2015 operation, Kingston officers arrested Lombardo and searched his car, recovering seven additional bags of heroin, brass knuckles with a hidden switchblade, over $500, and a loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

This was a joint investigation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Phil Caraballo prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s

Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Lombardo faces a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum term of lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and fines totaling $3,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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