Pennsylvania Woman Receives 21-Year Sentence for Fatal Drug Distribution

A 25-year-old woman from Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for her role in a drug conspiracy that resulted in a death. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the sentencing of Kaylee Ann Widmer, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl. The overdose death of an individual was directly linked to fentanyl supplied as part of this operation.

The illicit activities, which spanned from January 2022 to February 2023, involved Widmer, her boyfriend Christopher Potter, and other associates who conspired to distribute controlled substances across Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. Widmer is reported to have supplied fentanyl to a co-conspirator, Santino Bellucci, who subsequently sold the deadly substance on December 18, 2022. This distribution led to the fatal overdose of the recipient. Throughout the duration of the conspiracy, Widmer was receiving significant quantities of fentanyl from individuals based in the Hazleton, Pennsylvania area. The sentencing of Widmer follows similar 21-year prison terms previously handed down to her co-conspirators, Santino Bellucci, age 28, of Dickson City, Pennsylvania, and Christopher Potter, age 30, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, by Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani. The investigation into this case was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dunmore Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Roberts leading the prosecution.

This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation integrates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Additionally, this case falls under a district-wide initiative targeting the widespread use and distribution of heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is spearheading this Heroin Initiative, which involves federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved in heroin-related offenses within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

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