Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking Scheme
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 18, 2011 |
PITTSBURGH—A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pled guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Christopher Neiport, 34, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from January 2009, to Dec. 15, 2009, Neiport conspired to distribute two to three-and-a-half kilograms of cocaine.
Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for Aug. 19, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; the Pittsburgh Division of Weed and Seed; the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Neiport.