Former Pittsburgh Drug Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

PITTSBURGH, PA – A former Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 15 years of imprisonment on his conviction of violating the federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Nathaniel Thomas, 40, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA.

According to information presented to the Court, in April 2019, the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division began an investigation into heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine distribution by Thomas. As part of that investigation, agents obtained a federal search warrant for Thomas’s residence on Coleridge Street in Pittsburgh, which was executed on May 29, 2019. Inside of Thomas’s bedroom, agents seized approximately 158 “bricks” – the equivalent of roughly 7,900 individual dosage units – containing mixtures of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl) and heroin. Agents also found roughly 40 grams of cocaine and a digital scale containing a white powder residue in the same area. Thomas admitted that he possessed those scheduled narcotics intending to distribute them.

In a related filing, the Government advised the Court that Thomas has a prior conviction for a serious drug felony offense arising out of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, and that the enhanced penalties set forth in the federal narcotics laws should be applied. The Court found that the enhanced penalties applied to Thomas and sentenced him to serve 15 years imprisonment followed by 10 years of federal supervised release. Thomas remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transfer to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility to begin serving his sentence of imprisonment.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thomas.