The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced that Matthew Luce, aka “Luck,” 36, of Effort, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with drug distribution resulting in death.

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment says that Luce knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of fentanyl on Feb. 6, 2021, in Monroe County, resulting in the death of a person.

The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the FBI in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, the Clinton Police Department in New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania State Police.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.