Pittsburgh Man Conspired to Distribute Drugs in Erie

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Pittsburgh Man Conspired to Distribute Drugs in Erie

A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, announced United States Attorney David J. Hickton today.

Vincent Jamal Carter, 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone. In addition, Carter admitted that this conviction is a violation of his conditions of supervised release.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around September 2013 to in and around January 2015, Carter conspired with three co-defendants to possess with intent to distribute and distribute kilograms of marijuana that had been shipped to Erie from California.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The investigation that led to the prosecution of Carter was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Organized Crime Section, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

The guilty plea is a significant blow to the distribution of illicit substances in Erie, and we will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle these networks and bring those responsible to justice, said U.S. Attorney Hickton.