SCRANTON, PA — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Miguel Eduardo Rosario, a/k/a “Deuce,” age 36, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was convicted on February 2, 2023, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and serious bodily injury following a 7-day trial before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rosario was a large-scale drug dealer operating out of Reading. While on state parole for a prior drug conviction, Rosario continued to sell fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and Xanax in the Berks and Schuylkill County areas between January 2017 and November 2019. Rosario was found guilty on all counts of the indictment, including counts relating to an individual who first overdosed from heroin and fentanyl distributed to him by Rosario, and then suffered death approximately six months later from heroin and fentanyl again distributed to him by Rosario. Rosario was also convicted of firearm charges related to his distribution of methamphetamine in exchange for firearms.
During the seven-day trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony from approximately 35 witnesses, including expert witness testimony from a forensic pathologist, multiple forensic toxicologists, a medical toxicologist, and a forensic cell phone examiner.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Pennsylvania State Police, the West Reading Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Brian Gallagher.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death is life imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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