SCRANTON, PA — John Fidanqui-Marten, a 21-year-old formerly residing in Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion ordered Fidanqui-Marten to serve 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Fidanqui-Marten had previously entered a guilty plea for distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He has also been ordered to pay $3,500 in restitution and a $300 special assessment.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Fidanqui-Marten was involved in large-scale methamphetamine distribution in 2020. During a drug sale in September 2020, Fidanqui-Marten and co-defendant Damar Coad allegedly pointed handguns at an undercover police officer, robbing him of $7,500.
When law enforcement attempted to apprehend the pair, a high-speed car chase ensued, ending with Fidanqui-Marten crashing into a ditch. Upon arrest, he was found in possession of a .9mm handgun and $4,000 of the money originally intended for the drug purchase.
Co-defendant Coad was sentenced earlier this year, on July 18, 2023, to seven years imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler.
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