The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced that Jose Ricardo Pena, a 58-year-old native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for charges related to fentanyl distribution and illegal reentry into the United States.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Pena was initially arrested in Boston, Massachusetts in 2011 and deported to the Dominican Republic later that year. Despite this, he illegally re-entered the United States and was arrested again in Dauphin County on October 16, 2015, on drug trafficking charges. He was convicted of conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver heroin by the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas and sentenced to concurrent terms of 7-14 months imprisonment.
Following his conviction, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him, leading to further charges in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for illegal reentry. On February 8, 2017, he was convicted of this charge and subsequently deported again on May 7, 2017.
Despite these actions, Pena illegally returned once more to the United States. In 2023, he distributed fentanyl on four occasions outside an apartment complex in Harrisburg: selling quantities ranging from 22 grams to 53 grams each time between August and October. This activity amounted to over 4,700 individual doses of fentanyl.
Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens stated: “Fentanyl is a deadly poison that devastates communities and shatters families. The arrest and sentencing of Jose Ricardo Pena, a criminal illegal alien who was previously removed, are a testament to our unwavering commitment to combating the devastation that it causes.”
The investigation into this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) alongside the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Ford led the prosecution.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community organizations.