Former New Castle Man Sentenced to Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

PITTSBURGH, PA -- A former resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced on two indictments in federal court today on his conviction of violating federal drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Donte Calhoun, age 32. As to the first indictment, the defendant was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and as to the second indictment, the defendant was also sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with those sentences to run concurrently. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be placed on supervised release for a term of six years.

According to information presented to the court, on August 14, 2018, a confidential informant provided $2,250 to purchase cocaine and heroin from a target, who was not Calhoun. During the transaction, as established through surveillance, photographs, and recordings, Calhoun delivered approximately 27 grams of cocaine that the target provided to the confidential informant.

Later in 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted an investigation of a drug trafficking organization centered in New Castle. That investigation included court-authorized interception of communications in which Calhoun was intercepted discussing cocaine trafficking with a member of the drug trafficking organization.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney, Cindy K. Chung, commended the Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work leading to the prosecution of Donte Calhoun.

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