Pittsburgh Residents Plead Guilty to Drug and Gun Charges

PITTSBURGH – John Burton and Nico Nixon were convicted following guilty pleas to fentanyl and heroin trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Burton, age 31, and Nixon, age 29, both of Pittsburgh, pled guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Burton pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, heroin, and crack cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on August 26, 2019. Nixon pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on August 3, 2019.

Burton’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to occur on July 14, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Nixon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to occur on July 13, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $2,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal histories of the defendants.

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

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the United States Marshals Service and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which 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.