Ismael Felix, 41, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is headed to federal prison for nearly six and a half years after being caught red-handed with 12 bricks of heroin and a loaded firearm in his living room during an FBI raid. The armed drug dealer pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, sealing his fate in a federal courtroom before Judge David Cercone.
Felix’s downfall began on August 8, 2017, when FBI Special Agents and members of the Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed a search warrant at his Pittsburgh apartment. Inside, they found Felix sitting in the living room surrounded by drugs, cash, and a loaded gun. Agents seized approximately 12 bricks of heroin and recovered more than $80,000 in cash from both the apartment and a second residence tied to Felix.
During questioning, Felix admitted not only to possessing the narcotics but also to operating as a heroin trafficker. His confession, combined with the physical evidence, left no doubt about his criminal enterprise. As part of his guilty plea, Felix agreed to forfeit the entire $80,000 cash haul and the firearm used in the commission of his crimes.
U.S. District Judge David Cercone wasted no time accepting the plea and imposing judgment. Felix was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison — a little over six years — followed by six years of supervised release. The sentence underscores the federal crackdown on drug traffickers who arm themselves, a dangerous combination that fuels violence in urban communities.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni, who emphasized the collaborative effort behind the conviction. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force, a multi-agency unit designed to dismantle drug networks before they destroy more lives.
That task force includes FBI Special Agents and officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Their relentless work put a known trafficker behind bars — and took a significant dose of poison off Pittsburgh’s streets.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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