A North Huntingdon man has been sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment for his role in a narcotics trafficking ring.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Gregory Luptak, 52, of North Huntingdon, PA, on charges of narcotics trafficking.
The charges stemmed from a long-term investigation by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, which identified Luptak as a member of a neighborhood-based street gang known as ‘SCO.’ The gang, led by Howard McFadden, was found to be distributing controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
According to information presented to the Court, intercepted communications confirmed that Luptak obtained large quantities of heroin, which he distributed to others in and around the North Huntingdon area. Luptak informed the Court that he would sell the heroin to his drug customers at a mark-up so that he could buy more heroin for himself.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Scott W. Brady commended the multi-agency team, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Luptak. Partners in this 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, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
The investigation and prosecution of Luptak is a prime example of the success of the OCDETF program in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the most serious drug trafficking organizations.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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