James Pearcy, Cocaine Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2021

In a stark reminder of the ongoing war on drugs, a Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 9 years behind bars for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation.

James Pearcy, 60, was sentenced in federal court to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

The crime, which occurred between January 2021 and June 2021, saw Pearcy conspire with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Pearcy was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine that he distributed to others, according to information presented to the court.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, while U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Pearcy.

The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.

The OCDETF approach leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks, utilizing a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The agencies participating in the investigation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.