Pittsburgh Man, 21, Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Heroin, Fentanyl and a Stolen Firearm

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Jeremiah McDonald, 21, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, on April 17, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at McDonald’s residence and recovered distribution-quantities of heroin and fentanyl along with a loaded, stolen firearm. McDonald accepted responsibility for possessing with intent to distribute between 40 grams and 160 grams of heroin and fentanyl and possessing the firearm in conjunction with his drug trafficking.

While announcing McDonald’s sentence, Judge Conti referenced the seriousness of heroin and fentanyl trafficking as well as the possession of a firearm in relation to these offenses.

Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McDonald.

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.