Expand<\/a><\/p>\nAccording to a criminal complaint:<\/p>\n
In August, Lackawanna County Detective John Munley learned from a confidential source that a man, later identified as Cardona, 25, of 330-332 Prospect Ave., was selling drugs in Lackawanna County.<\/p>\n
County detectives intercepted and recorded multiple texts referencing a drug transaction between Cardona and the informant.<\/p>\n
After the informant arranged to meet Cardona to purchase crack cocaine, the informant was given confidential funds and equipped with a recording device.<\/p>\n
Investigators established surveillance and saw the informant exchange cash for crack cocaine from Gailiano, who was accompanied by Cardona.<\/p>\n
Later in August, investigators again met with the informant to further investigate Cardona and Gailiano, 34, also of 330-332 Prospect Ave.<\/p>\n
Investigators intercepted multiple text messages regarding a drug transaction between the informant and Cardona.<\/p>\n
Lackawanna County detectives and drug task force officers established surveillance.<\/p>\n
Detectives saw Gailiano arrive in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Leslie Alicia Ramos, 39, of 330-332 Prospect Ave.<\/p>\n
The informant entered the vehicle and again exchanged confidential funds for crack cocaine.<\/p>\n
Ramos told the informant to call if they needed anything else.<\/p>\n
Investigators again met with the informant in September to continue their investigation.<\/p>\n
County detectives established surveillance and watched Gailiano arrive in a vehicle, exchanging crack cocaine for confidential funds with the informant.<\/p>\n
Mariangely Roblez Guzman, 36, of 328 Prospect Ave., was inside the vehicle with Gailiano and the informant, sitting in the front passenger seat.<\/p>\n
Later in September, investigators again met with the informant.<\/p>\n
They intercepted multiple text messages between the informant and Cardona during which the two agreed to meet.<\/p>\n
County detectives established surveillance and watched while the informant met with Gailiano and exchanged confidential funds for crack cocaine.<\/p>\n
Detectives then witnessed Gailiano return to 328 Prospect Ave.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, investigators obtained a warrant to search the property.\u00a0As they approached the residence, they saw a man sitting on the back porch watching them.<\/p>\n
As county detectives and state police entered the residence, Moldonado attempted to flee out the back door. It was determined he had a warrant out of the Lackawanna County sheriff\u2019s office for a firearm charge.<\/p>\n
Moldonado, 31, of 328 Prospect Ave., also had five tramadol pills \u2014 a synthetic opioid pain reliever \u2014 on him.<\/p>\n
Gailiano told investigators he had a scale and crack cocaine in his bedroom.\u00a0Investigators seized a bag containing 7 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and $1,082 from Gailiano\u2019s bedroom.<\/p>\n
They also seized five cellphones and a metal lid with drug residue inside it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese individuals set up this drug trafficking network like a business, with the sole goal of profiting off of our citizens\u2019 addiction,\u201d said Gallagher. \u201cWe will continue to be relentless when it comes to dismantling drug trafficking organizations.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, this operation is about more than arrests \u2014 it\u2019s about giving families their neighborhood back. By standing together, we\u2019ve taken a step toward safer streets, stronger communities, and a brighter future for our kids,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Originally Published: September 11, 2025 at 5:15 PM EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Five South Scranton residents were charged in a monthlong investigation into the sale of crack cocaine, Lackawanna County…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9815,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[202,201,182,139,28,178,180,179],"class_list":{"0":"post-9814","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-crime-and-public-safety","9":"tag-lackawanna-county","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-pennsylvania","13":"tag-scranton","14":"tag-scranton-headlines","15":"tag-scranton-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Gailiano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/STT-L-TRAFFICKING-0913-05.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Guzman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/STT-L-TRAFFICKING-0913-04.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Moldonado](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/STT-L-TRAFFICKING-0913-01.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Ramos](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/STT-L-TRAFFICKING-0913-02.jpg\")
<\/p>\n