Federal Jury Finds Ohio Man Guilty of Federal Drug Charge

PITTSBURGH, PA – After deliberating for less than one hour, a federal jury found Norberto Castillo-Lopez guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Castillo-Lopez, 34, of Columbus, Ohio was tried before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The evidence introduced during the three-day trial established that, beginning in December of 2019 and continuing through August of 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was trafficking kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Columbus, Ohio into the Western District of Pennsylvania. Castillo-Lopez was intercepted agreeing to supply kilograms of cocaine to his coconspirator. That coconspirator redistributed Castillo-Lopez’s cocaine to lower-level distributors for resale in the cities of New Castle and Farrell. In September 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Castillo-Lopez’s residence and recovered cocaine, bulk United States currency, and a kilogram wrapper.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Castillo-Lopez remains in custody pending sentencing.

DEA in Pittsburgh, PA; the DEA, Columbus, OH; the DEA, Harrisburg, PA; Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pittsburgh, PA; HSI, Orlando, FL; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; United States Postal Service, Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Lawrence County Drug Task Force – Special Investigations Unit; and New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Castillo-Lopez.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.