Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of four years (48 months) in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a fentanyl analogue, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Termane Thomass Eleam, 33.

According to information presented to the court, on November 3, 2016, Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroeville Police executed a search warrant on Rooms 238 and 305 of the Days Inn, located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. During the search of Room 238, investigators seized suspected heroin, gloves, and distribution paraphernalia, including packaging materials, blenders, and multiple cell phones. Wilfredo Torres and Donte Spence were in Room 238. A cousin of Eleam was in Room 305 bagging the suspected heroin in exchange for payment. The drugs recovered from both rooms tested positive for a total of approximately 200 grams of furanyl fentanyl and heroin.

Eleam had departed the Days Inn just prior to the execution of the search warrant, and returned to the hotel as the search warrant was being executed. When officers searched both his person and vehicle following the execution of the search warrant, a small amount of marijuana and related paraphernalia were recovered.

Previously, Torres was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Spence was sentenced to three years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.

Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Eleam.