Susquehanna Township Man Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For Role In Multi-Million Dollar Marijuana Ring

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Laboy, age 40, of Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 9 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for his role in a multi-million dollar marijuana ring.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Laboy previously entered a guilty plea to being a part of a group that received marijuana shipped from sources in California and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The drug trafficking group operated out of Fastlane Auto Sales located on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. Over that time, hundreds of parcels full of marijuana were shipped from California to Harrisburg. The group mailed cash back to California. They used a sophisticated system of GPS tracking devices, which they placed in their parcels, to keep track of their drugs and money. 

The Fastlane Group learned that a postal employee was stealing their marijuana as it was being secretly shipped through the U.S. Mail. To stop the suspected thief, they shot at a car in Harrisburg, at a home Susquehanna Township, and at home in Steelton. They also robbed and assaulted the postal employee at gunpoint.

Judge Wilson found that Laboy was responsible for trafficking between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana from 2017 to May 2020.  Judge Wilson noted that Laboy was not responsible for the violence associated with the Harrisburg drug trafficking group.

Co-defendant Christopher Texidor, age 36 of Harrisburg, had a jury trial and was convicted in May 2024 of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. He is awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendant William Kuduk, age 37 of Harrisburg, pled guilty to marijuana trafficking and cocaine trafficking associated with the Fastlane Group. Co-defendant Justin Laboy, age 36, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to marijuana trafficking conspiracy and conspiracy to use a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. Co-defendant Julio Arellano, age 33, of Harrisburg, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to traffic marijuana and conspiracy to use a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. They are all awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendant Jonathan Cobaugh, age 25, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and wire fraud related to a pandemic related fraud scheme. He was sentenced to 63 months in prison on May 29, 2024. Co-defendant Jamie Valenzuela, age 32 of Santa Ana, California, pled guilty to being a source of marijuana from California for the conspiracy. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison on February 8, 2024. 

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Susquehanna Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the cases.

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