The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 37-year-old Hazleton man pleaded guilty on March 31 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik in Scranton to participating in a heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy during 2013.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, defendant Willy Perez admitted that he conspired with others to distribute the drugs. FBI agents and Scranton police seized about 2,000 bags of heroin from Perez during the investigation.Perez was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2014, as a result of an investigation by the FBI, the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office and Scranton police.Perez faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Judge Kosik ordered a presentence investigation to be completed. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.