A man from Erie, Pennsylvania, aged 44, has been sentenced to more than two decades in federal prison. He was found guilty of heading a significant illegal drug trafficking operation that supplied kilogram amounts of methamphetamine to various communities in the Western District of Pennsylvania, including Erie and its surrounding areas.
Judge Marilyn J. Horan sentenced John Christopher Bisbee, 44, of Erie to 252 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for prior guilty pleas on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Bisbee Pleads Guilty To Multiple Counts
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Bisbee had previously appeared in U.S. District Court and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan, charge paperwork was submitted, as well as statements made in court during Bisbee’s plea hearing. Bisbee took part in a conspiracy to distribute and possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from July 2019 to June 2020.
Bisbee Identified As The Leader
Bisbee was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that operated throughout Erie and nearby communities, including over the New York State line, and procured kilograms of methamphetamine for distribution to others.
Bisbee imported dozens of kilograms of methamphetamine at a time through his Atlanta supply source, repackaging it for ultimate distribution and handing it over to a network of underlings for street sales distribution and collection of the money.
During Search Warrant Investigators Find Firearms
During the search of Bisbee’s Erie residence, authorized by a court-issued warrant, investigators discovered and confiscated two handguns along with more than 100 rounds of ammunition. Bisbee acknowledged that he was aware of his prohibition to own or possess firearms and ammunition due to his previous felony convictions related to drug trafficking. In his plea allocution, Bisbee confessed that he had possessed the firearms to aid in his newly committed drug trafficking offenses.
In addition to being involved in the methamphetamine conspiracy, Bisbee has admitted his role in a money laundering scheme. He conspired to use the proceeds from the sale of meth to buy real estate in the Erie, Pennsylvania area. In accordance with his plea agreement, Bisbee has agreed to forfeit more than $305,000 in cash and jewelry that were seized during the investigation at the time of his arrest.
In September 2024, Alexis Brolin, Jr., the co-conspirator of Bisbee, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for overseeing the distribution of the drug trafficking organization in Clearfield and its neighboring areas.
“John Bisbee was a major methamphetamine trafficker in the Erie area whose network stretched across northwestern and central Pennsylvania and into New York,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Drugs and firearms are too often a deadly combination in our communities, and today’s 21-year sentence, along with Alexis Brolin’s 17-year sentence, reflect our collective resolve at all levels of law enforcement to pursue the most dangerous offenders in this district with the full weight of the federal law.”
“Bisbee received a severe sentence in federal prison for leading a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This investigation exemplifies how collaboration with our law enforcement partners safeguards our communities against criminal organizations.”
