Southwestern PA Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Possession

PITTSBURGH - A southwestern Pennsylvania resident has pleaded guilty to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Leonard Jackson, age 45, of Washington, PA 15301 and Brownsville, PA 15417, pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on or about June 3, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant for Jackson’s residence, where they found approximately a kilogram of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, along with other drug packaging materials and U.S. Currency.

Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for April 26, 2022 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $8,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 8 years. 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 Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Perryopolis Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jackson.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.