An Erie man will serve more than two decades in prison, followed by supervised release, for leading a large-scale methamphetamine enterprise that spanned multiple states.
A federal judge sentenced 44-year-old former Erie resident John C. Bisbee to 252 months (21 years) in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Bisbee’s group operated mostly in Erie and the neighboring areas from July 2019 to June 2020, transporting dozens of kilograms of meth obtained from an Atlanta supply for resale.
When law officers raided his residence in 2020, they discovered two firearms and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, as well as over $305,000 in cash and jewels.
Bisbee eventually admitted to using drug sales proceeds to acquire real estate in Erie in an attempt to launder the ill-gotten earnings.
Bisbee is the second member of the enterprise to be convicted, following co-defendant Alexis Brolin Jr., who was sentenced to 17 years in jail in September 2024 for running operations in the Clearfield, Pennsylvania region.
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“John Bisbee was a major methamphetamine trafficker in the Erie area whose network stretched across northwestern and central Pennsylvania and into New York,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Drugs and firearms are too frequently a lethal mix in our communities, and today’s
The 21-year sentence, combined with Alexis Brolin’s recent 17-year sentence, reflects our collaborative determination at all levels of law enforcement to prosecute the most violent offenders in our district with the full power of the law.
Bisbee was initially indicted in August 2024 following an 18-month investigation, among 37 others who were suspected to be members of the organization.
