Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Michael King, 37, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around April 2016, and continuing thereafter to in and around October 2016, King conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. During his plea colloquy, the defendant admitted that on or about September 30, 2016, he possessed approximately four ounces of cocaine and that he sold cocaine for $1,200 per ounce.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2018 at 1 p.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 30 years 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 of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and comprises members drawn from the Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Stowe Township Police Department also provided assistance in this investigation. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.