DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Pennsylvania

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Peter J. Smith
, United States Attorney
Contact: Dawn Mayko

Six Luzerne County Residents Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal grand jury in Scranton indicted six individuals yesterday from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania for various narcotics trafficking and firearm offenses. The defendants are:

  • Truman Jones, age 40, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania;
  • Al Dunlap, age 25, Wilkes-Barre;
  • Jaquan Henderson, age 26, Edwardsville, Pennsylvania;
  • Nadeurdra Mayhams, age 24, Edwardsville;
  • Davon Beckford, age 21, Edwardsville; and
  • Stephanie Walter, age 25, Edwardsville.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges all of the defendants with conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base (crack cocaine) in Luzerne County from on or about November 10, 2015 through May 6, 2016. Each of the defendants also is charged with one or more counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute heroin or crack cocaine. The indictment also charges defendants Jones, Dunlap and Mayhams with possessing firearms in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking activities. The indictment seeks forfeiture of the firearms, ammunition and currency recovered from the defendants.

Defendants Jones and Mayhams had previously been arrested and charged in federal criminal complaints premised on the same activities, on February 9, 2016 and May 6, 2016, respectively.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Enforcement, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Wilkes-Barre and Edwardsville Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic of 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 was also brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership ("VCRP"), a district-wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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.

The maximum penalties under federal law for the most severe charges are life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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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Philadelphia Field Division