Traevon Rasha Nicholson, 3rd Degree Murder, Fentanyl Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2020

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted a 24-year-old man from Penn Hills on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearms laws.

Traevon Rasha Nicholson, 24, of Verona, Pennsylvania, was named as the sole defendant in a three-count indictment returned on May 19.

According to the indictment, Nicholson possessed a quantity of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, on January 26, 2020. The indictment further alleges that Nicholson possessed a firearm, an IMEZ/Baikal pistol, in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.

The indictment also alleges that Nicholson possessed the firearm, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony, namely, Murder in the Third Degree on July 21, 2015. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from owning firearms.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000 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 Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

In mandatory facts, the defendant Traevon Rasha Nicholson, a 24-year-old man from Penn Hills, has been indicted on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearms laws. The exact charges are three-count indictment for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges were filed on May 19, 2023, and the alleged crime occurred on January 26, 2020. Nicholson is facing a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000 or both. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/penn-hills-man-3rd-degree-murder-conviction-indicted-federal-fentanyl-and-firearms