Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun Charges

PITTSBURGH- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Isaiah Peeples, 27, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 29, 2017, Peeples illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a felony, and also illegally possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.  

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2019 at 2:15 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $2,000,000, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Peeples. This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.