Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty in Drug Distribution Conspiracy

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – Torlando Hopson pled guilty to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Hopson, age 34 of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on August 31, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

The law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is 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.