New York Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison on Drug Trafficking Charge

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodari Sam, 50, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced on October 21, 2026, to 120 months' imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on March 31, 2026, a jury found Sam guilty of possessing 250 grams of cocaine and 99 grams of fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue. Evidence showed that on March 7, 2024, Sam was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police on Interstate 380 in Monroe County for speeding. Sam repeatedly provided the State Police Trooper with false information, and a search of his vehicle revealed the drugs. At the time, Sam was on parole for a homicide conviction in New York.

The FBI Philadelphia's Capital Area Resident Agency and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Bannon and Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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