Judge Sends Convicted Mercer County Drug Dealer to Prison for 15 Years

PITTSBURGH – Joshua Peters was sentenced to 180 months in prison for committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes in Mercer County, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Peters, age 37, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab ordered Peters to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Peters was convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in December 2022 of committing the following crimes on March 15, 2022: (1) possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and (3) possession of a firearm and ammunition after a prior felony conviction.

The trial evidence demonstrated, among other things, that Peters was distributing cocaine and fentanyl from a house in Greenville, Pennsylvania, in 2022. The house was searched by the Mercer County Drug Task Force on March 15, 2022. Thirty-four grams of cocaine, six guns, and over $2,500 in cash were found inside the house on that date.

The investigation established that Peters was responsible for the distribution of over 500 grams of cocaine and over 80 grams of fentanyl as part of a continuing course of conduct in 2021 and 2022. The investigation also revealed that he, at times, distributed cocaine and fentanyl in return for guns and sexual acts.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

The Mercer County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.