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SCRANTON — A Wyoming County man self-billed as the Godfather of Fireworks was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton this week on firearm and drug trafficking offenses.
Anthony C. Donnora Sr., 79, of Forkston Township, was charged in the indictment with the distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, maintaining a drug involved premises, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam.
Donnora owned the retail fireworks store called Fireworks by Tony Donnora in Forkston.
The alleged offenses occurred between August 2021 and Feb. 27, 2024.
The charges filed against Donnora stem from a joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations Scranton, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wyoming County district attorney’s office, Pennsylvania State Police and the Tunkhannock Borough police department.
“After an extended and complex undercover investigation, we seized hundreds of deadly fentanyl pills, firearms and cash from the premises of Anthony C. Donnora Sr.,” Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters stated in a news release.
Donnora was initially arrested by detectives with the Wyoming County district attorney’s office in February 2024.
“When we originally served our search warrant and arrested Donnora on state charges, I urged the judge to set $1 million bail and the court agreed with my argument and the defendant remains in the Wyoming County Correctional Facility. Our strategy was to take Donnora off the streets, seize the cache of fentanyl, guns and money. But, we didn’t stop our work but quietly continued our multi-year investigation and this week a federal grand jury handed up an indictment against Donnora’s operation,” Peters stated.
Peters noted he plans to file a forfeiture action to seize Donnora’s property.
“The citizens of Wyoming County and our region are now safer from the scourge of the killer drug fentanyl by the seizure of hundreds of these pills and the dismantling of Donnora’s activities, the self-professed ‘Godfather’ of fireworks,” Peters stated.