Erie Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Charges

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Sylvester Tate, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Tate possessed with intent to distribute and distributed approximately seven grams of cocaine on two occasions.

Judge McLaughlin scheduled sentencing for August 21, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court continued Tate on bond.

Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The EAGLE task force, which is comprised of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Erie Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tate.