Wayne Barker, Marijuana Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2019
Pittsburgh Man's Marijuana Empire Crumbles
A West Mifflin man has pleaded guilty to operating a large-scale marijuana stash house in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Wayne Barker, age 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking in federal court. The charges stem from a long-term investigation by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force.
According to court documents, investigators uncovered a large-scale marijuana operation based in an apartment on Covode Street in Squirrel Hill. On May 24, 2019, law enforcement executed federal search warrants on the vehicle and the apartment, seizing 404 pounds of marijuana and $5,012 in cash.
Additionally, investigators found vacuum sealers, a money counter, and other items indicative of large-scale drug-trafficking.
Barker is facing a maximum sentence of not less than five and not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Judge Arthur J. Schwab scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2020, at 10:00 AM.
Barker remains on bond pending sentencing.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and other local and state agencies.
The case was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). OCDETF supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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