Hazleton man sentenced for running drug ring

A Hazleton man has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for running a drug ring in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, and may face deportation.

Willy Perez, 37, was sentenced Friday by Judge Edwin M. Kosik.

A citizen of the Dominican Republic, Perez previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. The alleged drug dealing occurred between July and October of 2013.

Perez was indicted by a grand jury in January 2014, as a result of an investigation by the FBI and Scranton police.

Judge Kosik also ordered that Perez be placed on three years supervised release following the completion of his prison sentence.

However as a legal resident alien, Perez could be subject to deportation as a result of the felony conviction.

According to published reports, Perez was arrested in one of the biggest drug busts in Scranton police history. In October 2013, they arranged for a confidential informant to meet Perez to buy 2,000 packets of heroin. When Perez and four associates arrived for the deal, they were arrested.

Police found 2,350 packets of heroin inside Perez's vehicle.