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<p>SCRANTON&#8212; Daniel Fitzgibbon, 47, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty Wednesday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to participating in a conspiracy to distribute alpha-pvp, commonly known as &#8220;bath salts.&#8221;</p><p>According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Fitzgibbon admitted to agreeing with others to distribute the drug to customers in the Luzerne County area during 2014 and 2015.</p><p>The members of the conspiracy obtained the alpha-pvp from suppliers in China, investigators said. Fitzgibbon also admitted that he and others used force, threats and intimidation in connection with the drug conspiracy.</p><p>Fitzgibbon was one of seven people charged by a grand jury in August 2016. That indictment was the fourth wave of arrests connected to alpha-pvp distribution in Luzerne County.</p><p>In all, 18 people have been charged in the case since July 2013, including a Texas-based supplier of the bath salts. Fitzgibbon is the 15th defendant to plead guilty in the case.</p><p>Munley ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be completed and scheduled sentencing in the case for Dec. 14.</p><p>The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police from Luzerne County. assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.</p><p>The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years&#8217; imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Times Leader Staff</p></bylineMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre man guilty of conspiracy to distribute bath salts