A Lackawanna County man, Jimmy Bell, 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment on May 13, 2026, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick also imposed a term of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Bell previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly 4 kilograms of marihuana on or about May 26, 2023, in Lackawanna County. As a convicted felon, he also admitted to possessing a rifle and a Smith & Wesson .38 special handgun, both with obliterated serial numbers, along with additional ammunition, in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
United States Attorney Brian D. Miller said Bell had entered his guilty plea on an earlier date. This case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels, and protecting communities from violent crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office investigated the matter, with Assistant United States Attorney Gerard Donahue prosecuting the case.