Rodney Howard, Dustin Hill, DeAndre Jackson, Rodneka Howard, Smuggling Synthetic Cannabinoids, Pennsylvania 2021
Three Prison Inmates, Local Residents Charged with Smuggling Synthetic Cannabinoids and Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
PITTSBURGH, PA - Two residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and two individuals incarcerated at Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions (SCIs), have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of shipping drugs into a prison and pandemic unemployment fraud, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The three-count drug-related Indictment, returned on July 20, 2021, and unsealed today, named Rodney Howard, 36, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Mahanoy; Dustin Hill, 34, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Benner; and DeAndre Jackson, 28, of Skyline Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15227.
The one-count pandemic unemployment fraud-related Indictment, also returned on July 20, 2021, and unsealed today, named DeAndre Jackson, 28, of Skyline Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, Rodneka Howard, 27, of Greensburg Pike, North Versailles, PA 15137; and Rodney Howard, 36, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Mahanoy. Rodney and Rodneka Howard are siblings with each other and half-siblings with DeAndre Jackson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman said, “Introducing illicit drugs into the prison system endangers inmates and employees. Illegally obtaining pandemic unemployment benefits hurts real Pennsylvania workers struggling to cope with job loss. Both types of crimes violate federal law and will be swiftly and justly prosecuted.”
The PA Department of Corrections maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward individuals who engage in criminal activity while housed in our facilities, particularly those who put staff and others at risk by attempting to smuggle dangerous drugs into prisons, said PA Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel. “The charges announced today are the result of months of exemplary work from members the PADOC’s Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence, the DOJ, and our other state and federal law enforcement partners, and I applaud them for their efforts.”
Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison, Pittsburgh Division, said, “Postal Inspectors, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners have diligently worked to identify and disrupt the activities of drug trafficking and mail fraud. Postal Inspectors will continue to tirelessly investigate these types of crimes that utilize the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate illicit transactions.”
According to the drug-related indictment, Rodney Howard, Hill, and Jackson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ADB-BUTINACA, which is a Schedule I controlled substance. The indictment also charges Jackson with distributing that drug and with using the mails to aid this unlawful activity.
According to the pandemic unemployment fraud-related indictment, Jackson, Rodneka Howard, and Rodney Howard conspired to commit mail fraud by applying for or causing applications for pandemic benefits on behalf of three incarcerated individuals who were ineligible for those benefits. One of those cards was mailed to Rodneka Howard’s home address and another was mailed to an address that Jackson has used as his shipping and billing address in other contexts.
According to affidavits filed in support of search warrants that have been unsealed, on January 29, 2021, a mailman envelope was mailed from a post office in Pittsburgh to Hill at SCI Dallas with a return address at the Court of Common Pleas in Pittsburgh. The package contained approximately 30 sheets of cotton fiber paper that appeared to be a docket for a criminal case against Dustin Hill in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
Defendant Information:
- Defendant(s): Rodney Howard, Dustin Hill, DeAndre Jackson, Rodneka Howard
- Criminal Charges: Smuggling Synthetic Cannabinoids, Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Fraud
- City and State: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Exact Date: July 20, 2021
- Sentence/Outcome: Currently incarcerated or under investigation
This article is part of an ongoing series covering crime and justice in Pennsylvania. If you have any information about this or other crimes, please contact the authorities or Grimy Times at your own risk.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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