Judge Sentences Drug Dealer To 14 Years In Federal Prison

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years supervised release, on his conviction of violating the federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Richard Hayes, 33.

According to information presented to the court, on Feb. 23, 2011, U.S. postal inspectors in Pittsburgh executed a search warrant for a suspicious package mailed from Rialto, Calif., to Pittsburgh which contained in excess of 20 pounds of marijuana. When Hayes attempted to pick up the package, he was arrested. Inside his wallet, agents found two receipts for other packages mailed from Rialto to Pittsburgh one day earlier.

On Feb. 24, 2011, inspectors located one of the other packages, secured a search warrant, and found nearly nine pounds of cocaine inside. The wholesale value in Pittsburgh of nine pounds of cocaine would be between $160,000 - $180,000, with a retail or "street" value well exceeding a half million dollars.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory J. Nescott prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Richard Hayes.