New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Crimes

PITTSBURGH, PA– Rayjzon Sams pled guilty to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Sams, age 31, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Sams pled guilty to (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. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on March 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

The law provides for a sentence of at least one year and up to 120 years in prison and a fine of up to $8,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case.

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.