Schuylkill woman sentenced to prison term; ordered to forfeit property

SCRANTON — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania reported that Laverne Schaeffer, 48, of Schuylkill Haven, was sentenced Wednesday to 28 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Schaeffer previously pleaded guilty to participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy between July 2016 and May 2017 that operated in Schuylkill and Berks counties.

Judge Mariani also ordered Schaeffer to forfeit to the United States more than 105 acres of property in Schuylkill County that was used by her; her husband, Ernest Schaeffer; and other members of the drug conspiracy to store methamphetamine and firearms.

Ernest Schaeffer was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Anibal Rodriguez, the leader of the drug conspiracy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police in Schuylkill County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The Department of Justice 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.