Derrick Thomas Martin, Fentanyl and Gun Trafficking, Maryland 2023

Dwyer Sentenced for Braddock-Area Narcotics Trafficking

A 43-year-old Homestead man, Thomas Dwyer, has been sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release with 180 days home confinement, on his conviction of narcotics trafficking in the Braddock area of Pittsburgh.

Dwyer was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab after admitting that he obtained heroin, which he then distributed, from James Wells, a member of the SCO gang. Wells has already pleaded guilty in this case, admitting to being a heroin trafficker in and around the Braddock area.

The Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking in the area, which led to the successful prosecution of Dwyer. The investigation, which began in January 2019 and continued through May of the same year, involved a federal wire investigation authorized by investigators.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman commended the multi-agency team, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for its work in this case.

Partners in the investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.

This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. Established in 1982, OCDETF supports comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

Through OCDETF, federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners combine resources and expertise to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.

By working together, law enforcement agencies can effectively combat the scourge of narcotics trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.