Judge Sends Gun Carrying Heroin Dealer to Federal Prison

PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to seven years and six months (90 months) of incarceration on his conviction for violating federal firearms and drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Maurice Dewayne Tinsley, Jr.

According to information presented to the court, law enforcement officers working with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Tinsley’s residence on July 15, 2016 and located numerous stamp bags of heroin, pistols, ammunition, cellphones and $14,400 in cash. Court records show that Tinsley had previous felony convictions for illegally possessing a firearm (2010) and also for heroin trafficking (2012) in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Hornak also ordered the defendant to forfeit all of the money seized by the DEA.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak noted the "toxic" and "deadly" effect that guns and drugs have on society.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad R. Parks of the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the DEA and their many state and local law enforcement partners from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Canonsburg Police Department, the Donora Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the Coraopolis Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tinsley.