Joshua Peters, Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2022

PITTSBURGH – A Mercer County drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of firearm and drug trafficking crimes in Mercer County, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Josha Peters, 37, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to serve 180 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Peters was convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in December 2022 of committing the following crimes on March 15, 2022: (1) possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and (3) possession of a firearm and ammunition after a prior felony conviction.

The trial evidence demonstrated that Peters was distributing cocaine and fentanyl from a house in Greenville, Pennsylvania, in 2022. The house was searched by the Mercer County Drug Task Force on March 15, 2022, and they found 34 grams of cocaine, six guns, and over $2,500 in cash inside.

The investigation established that Peters was responsible for the distribution of over 500 grams of cocaine and over 80 grams of fentanyl as part of a continuing course of conduct in 2021 and 2022. He would often distribute cocaine and fentanyl in return for guns and sexual acts.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Mercer County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The PSN program was launched on May 26, 2021, with a violent crime reduction strategy that focuses on fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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