Monroeville Man Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Drug And Gun Law Violations

PITTSBURGH - A Monroeville man has been sentenced in federal court to 108 months in prison at Count One of the Superseding Indictment, and 60 months in prison at Count Four of the Superseding Indictment to run consecutively, for a total 168 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal firearms and drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Antonio Hardin, 32.

According to information presented to the court, and as reflected in Count One of the Superseding Indictment, from April, 2012 to February 2013, Hardin conspired together with his charged co-defendants Brandon Thompson, James Walker, Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., Luther Harper and others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin. In total, Hardin agreed to accept responsibility for between 900 and 990 grams of heroin. All of the abovementioned co- conspirators, except for Richard Wood, have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Specifically, the Court learned that in April, 2012, Hardin received heroin from co- conspirator Brandon Thompson. Hardin then supplied this heroin to an uncharged co-conspirator who was later shot by Thompson and Edward Cook at Club Pink in Munhall on or about Aug. 12, 2012. Cook has pleaded guilty to this shooting, and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Court also learned that Hardin, acting together with Brandon Thompson, James Walker, and Joseph Thompson, shared a heroin “stash house” in Pitcairn at which these persons packaged raw heroin into stamp bags that would later be sold on to other dealers, and eventually, to individual users. In addition, the Court learned that Hardin, over the course of the conspiracy, sold heroin to other charged distributors, including Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., and Luther Harper. The Court heard intercepts of a call in which Luther Harper and Bryce Harper discussed purchasing 25 brick quantities (40 gram quantities) of heroin from Hardin that the Harpers then planned to distribute to individual users. Last, Hardin acknowledged that during his drug trafficking crimes he possessed a firearm, including a 9mm Glock, to protect himself and to protect his drugs. As a result, Hardin possessed a firearm in furtherance of the abovementioned drug trafficking crimes.

Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, McKeesport Police Department, Munhall Police Department, and the West Homestead Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Antonio Hardin.