Harrisburg man sentenced for marijuana trafficking, hiring gunmen to protect drug operation
A Harrisburg man was sentenced Wednesday to more than 24 years in prison for trafficking marijuana and hiring gunmen to protect his illegal activities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.Video above: Headlines from News 8Christopher Texidor, 37, was convicted in May of drug trafficking, weapons and violence.According to the evidence presented at trial, Texidor and his co-defendants operated a marijuana smuggling operation out of Fastlane Auto Sales, a used car lot located on Paxton Street, between October 2018 and May 2020.Texidor and his co-defendants allegedly arranged to have his drug source in California mail hundreds of parcels full of marijuana to Harrisburg, and they mailed tens of thousands of dollars in cash back to that source.Through this scheme, investigators said more than 9,000 pounds of suspected marijuana, worth millions of dollars, were brought to the Harrisburg area.Prosecutors said Texidor and his co-defendants used guns, robbery and kidnapping as tools to keep their criminal operation running.At the trial, the jury heard evidence about how Texidor and his co-defendants went after a thief who began stealing their marijuana in 2019.By using tracking devices in their parcels and attaching tracking devices to vehicles, they identified the suspected thief. Texidor and his co-defendants then hired gunmen to stop the thefts.From December 2019 to February 2020, the gunmen went after the suspected thief:In December, the gunmen shot up a truck in Harrisburg connected to the suspected thief.They shot into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township where the suspected thief was sleeping.They shot into an occupied home in Steelton that they guessed was connected to the suspected thief.In February 2020, they robbed the suspected thief at gunpoint in Highspire.The jury convicted Texidor of conspiracy to traffic more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, use of a means in interstate communication to commit a crime of violence, and drug trafficking.Unemployment fraudTexidor was also sentenced for committing pandemic-related unemployment fraud.Texidor submitted a fraudulent application for pandemic relief and received more than $20,000. He was charged with wire fraud for that episode and later pleaded guilty.A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison for defrauding the United States.The judge noted as an aggravating factor that Texidor committed this fraud with his co-defendants in the marijuana trafficking case and that they all did it while out on release awaiting trial in that case.
A Harrisburg man was sentenced Wednesday to more than 24 years in prison for trafficking marijuana and hiring gunmen to protect his illegal activities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Video above: Headlines from News 8
Christopher Texidor, 37, was convicted in May of drug trafficking, weapons and violence.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Texidor and his co-defendants operated a marijuana smuggling operation out of Fastlane Auto Sales, a used car lot located on Paxton Street, between October 2018 and May 2020.
Texidor and his co-defendants allegedly arranged to have his drug source in California mail hundreds of parcels full of marijuana to Harrisburg, and they mailed tens of thousands of dollars in cash back to that source.
Through this scheme, investigators said more than 9,000 pounds of suspected marijuana, worth millions of dollars, were brought to the Harrisburg area.
Prosecutors said Texidor and his co-defendants used guns, robbery and kidnapping as tools to keep their criminal operation running.
At the trial, the jury heard evidence about how Texidor and his co-defendants went after a thief who began stealing their marijuana in 2019.
By using tracking devices in their parcels and attaching tracking devices to vehicles, they identified the suspected thief. Texidor and his co-defendants then hired gunmen to stop the thefts.
From December 2019 to February 2020, the gunmen went after the suspected thief:
In December, the gunmen shot up a truck in Harrisburg connected to the suspected thief.They shot into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township where the suspected thief was sleeping.They shot into an occupied home in Steelton that they guessed was connected to the suspected thief.
In February 2020, they robbed the suspected thief at gunpoint in Highspire.
The jury convicted Texidor of conspiracy to traffic more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, use of a means in interstate communication to commit a crime of violence, and drug trafficking.
Texidor was also sentenced for committing pandemic-related unemployment fraud.
Texidor submitted a fraudulent application for pandemic relief and received more than $20,000. He was charged with wire fraud for that episode and later pleaded guilty.
A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison for defrauding the United States.
The judge noted as an aggravating factor that Texidor committed this fraud with his co-defendants in the marijuana trafficking case and that they all did it while out on release awaiting trial in that case.
