New Castle Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Violations

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for committing fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Rayjzon Sams, 31, also ordering Sams to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Sams previously pleaded guilty in this case to committing the following crimes in 2020 and 2021: (1) conspiring to distribute cocaine and crack, (2) distributing crack within 1,000 feet of a school, and (3) possessing fentanyl and crack with intent to distribute. According to information presented to the Court, Sams engaged in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking in Lawrence and Mercer counties despite several prior convictions and incarceration sentences from state prosecutions during the preceding 10 years, including for cocaine trafficking and aggravated assault. Sams was on bond and probation, subject to house arrest, at the time he was trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sams.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.