Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

David Loveings, age 66, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from September 2017 until November 2019, Loveings participated in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and did distribute a quantity of cocaine base.

Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Brian M. Czarnecki are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Monroeville Police Department, the Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Maryland Office, and the Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harper.

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.