Jarran Bell, Heroin Distribution, PA 2023

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Jarran Bell, 38, formerly of Port Vue, Pennsylvania, has confessed to orchestrating a large-scale heroin distribution network stretching from New Jersey to the Pittsburgh area. The guilty plea, secured in federal court, caps a years-long investigation that peeled back layers of interconnected drug operations. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced the development today, a small victory in a relentless fight against the poison flooding our streets.

Bell pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin before United States District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon. The investigation, spanning December 2014 to April 2015, wasn’t some fly-by-night operation. It involved meticulous Title III intercepts of multiple cell phones, old-fashioned surveillance, carefully controlled drug buys, and a relentless pursuit of evidence. The aim: to dismantle a network preying on vulnerable communities.

The feds discovered Bell and his girlfriend, Krystle Barretto, weren’t just living a life – they were running a business. A dirty business. They maintained multiple residences, not as homes, but as stash houses, cleverly concealing their operation. Amanda Santiago was one of the players, residing in one of these locations during the investigation, unknowingly or not, a cog in their machine.

The crux of the case centered around two massive heroin shipments in April 2015. Bell and Barretto directed the movement of the drugs from Patterson, New Jersey, directly into the McKeesport/Port Vue area. On April 19, 2015, Santiago acted as a courier, transporting approximately 500 bricks of heroin via taxi cab – a brazen move that ultimately led to their downfall. The following day, federal agents executed search warrants, including one at Bell and Barretto’s primary residence.

The raid yielded a grim harvest: a loaded firearm, roughly five bricks of heroin, and a money counter, all seized from the master bedroom. The gun, stashed in a dresser drawer alongside the heroin, was legally owned by Barretto. This wasn’t just about drugs; it was about the tools of a violent trade. Santiago previously pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 2 ½ years (30 months) in prison. Barretto also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing on June 19, 2019.

Judge Bissoon has scheduled Bell’s sentencing for September 11, 2019, and has ordered him to remain detained pending that date. He faces a minimum of 15 years and potentially life in prison, along with a fine of up to $20,000,000. Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting the case, built on the investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The sentence will reflect the severity of the crimes and any prior criminal history. This case serves as a stark reminder: dealing in death carries a heavy price.