Erie Gang Member Sentenced to 6+ years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 78 months in federal prison on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Andre Javon Knight, 35.

According to information presented to the court, the FBI’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Safe Streets task force conducted an investigation into the drug dealing and violent crime activity of members of a local criminal network identifying itself as "1800". The court was advised that court authorized intercepts of telephone communications between members of the group and others revealed Knight was a source of supply of cocaine to the charged co-conspirators. According to information presented to the court, Knight and another co-conspirator discussed the quality of the cocaine and the process of "cooking" it into crack.

The federal sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to a 25 to 50 month sentence Knight received in state court for a firearm offense.

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

United States Attorney Brady commended EAGLE task force, which is comprised of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and the Erie Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Knight.