A man accused of leading a criminal operation that trafficked drugs from Philadelphia to Centre County was sentenced on Tuesday to 12.5 to 25 years in prison, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Larry L. Thomas, 30, of Philadelphia was sentenced in the Centre County Court of Common Pleas after pleading guilty to one felony count each of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy to deliver controlled substances, corrupt organizations and criminal use of a communication facility and two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver.
Investigations by a grand jury and the Attorney General’s Office found that from mid-2021 to early 2023 was the ring leader of an organization that trafficked fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine from Philadelphia to sell and distribute in Centre County.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the grand jury heard testimony that the drug ring was trafficking up to a pound of methamphetamine, and sometimes more, each month. Officers seized more than a pound of methamphetamine, along with fentanyl and other drugs during a search of Thomas’s home.
Thomas, who was originally charged in April 2023 with 37 felony counts, was among nearly a dozen people arrested in connection with the ring. He has been in custody since his arrest.
“This defendant directed a network of co-conspirators to distribute poisons in the State College area — even continuing to pull the strings while he was incarcerated,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a statement. “These addictive substances take lives and destroy communities. Thanks to the hard work of our office, our law enforcement partners and the members of the Grand Jury, this man is being held accountable for his crimes.”
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Madeira
