SCRANTON — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Derek Mountz, 33, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine in Schuylkill and Berks counties.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Mountz admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin (which is equivalent to more than 4,000 retail bags of heroin) and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from April through October 2016.

Mountz was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2017, as a result of an investigation by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police in Schuylkill County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.

Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release and a fine. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for the offense.