Brian Franklin. (Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office)
A Philadelphia man was sentenced Monday to state prison for his role in distributing fentanyl throughout Bucks County.
Brian Franklin, 25, entered a guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance before Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Charissa Liller and was ordered to serve seven to 14 years in state prison. In addition to his term behind bars, Franklin is required to secure full-time employment within 60 days of his release.
Franklin’s arrest in December 2023 capped a lengthy investigation led by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Middletown Township Police Department.
Authorities identified Franklin as the primary source of fentanyl pills, which were deceptively pressed to resemble oxycodone pills, and distributed throughout Bucks County, according to court papers.
The investigation found that Franklin had been distributing over 1,000 fentanyl pills monthly since 2021, law enforcement said.
Payments for these drugs were conducted using a mobile payment app, through which Franklin received nearly $60,000, law enforcement said.
An informant worked with investigators as they investigated Franklin and conducting drug buys, police said.
During the probe, which began last September following the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement officials seized more than 1,800 pressed fentanyl pills.
The investigation also involved the Bensalem Township Police Department, Bristol Township Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force is part of the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, which targets high-threat areas of drug trafficking and gun violence.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
