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Retired Firefighter Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking
A 68-year-old retired Pittsburgh firefighter, Walter John Amman, III, has been sentenced to two years and 10 months (34 months) in federal prison for his involvement in cocaine trafficking. Amman’s sentence comes after a guilty plea and a thorough investigation by federal authorities.
According to court documents, Amman had been assisting his co-defendant, 77-year-old Richard Wright, in processing, packaging, and distributing kilogram-level amounts of cocaine. Wright, who had been purchasing cocaine for over two decades, would convert some of the cocaine into crack. Amman’s involvement in the operation was uncovered through two controlled purchases made by the DEA, as well as a search of Amman’s and Wright’s residences.
During the search, law enforcement found a trove of incriminating evidence, including cocaine prepackaged for sale, firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and large amounts of cash. Amman’s residence was found to contain prepackaged amounts of crack and cocaine, as well as keys to a truck with his name on it.
At his plea hearing, Amman admitted to being responsible for between 700 grams and one kilogram of cocaine, as well as 5.767 grams of crack cocaine found at his property. Judge Mark R. Hornak noted that Amman had recently earned his high school diploma while incarcerated and had been involved in no misconduct while in jail.
However, the court also took into account the ‘very serious’ nature of the charges and Amman’s prior conviction in Florida for similar charges involving Wright. Wright had pleaded guilty in the case but died pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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