Westmoreland County Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl/Tramadol Mixture

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession with intent to distribute a mixture of fentanyl and tramadol, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Amber Doller-Smith, age 33, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nicholas Ranjan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on September 13, 2018, officers from Lower Burrell and New Kensington Police Departments stopped Doller-Smith’s SUV for reckless and erratic driving. During the stop, the officers smelled the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from Doller-Smith’s car. A canine unit was summoned to the scene. The canine examined on the exterior and interior of the vehicle and alerted on a purse situated on the front seat. The officers searched the purse and discovered a number of pills and a bankcard bearing Doller-Smith’s name. Based on this discovery, the officers decided that a frisk of Doller-Smith’s person was warranted. Since all of the officers at the scene were males, a female officer from a neighboring jurisdiction was dispatched to conduct the frisk. While the officers and Ms. Doller-Smith were waiting for the female officer to arrive, Ms. Doller-Smith informed the canine’s handler that she had heroin concealed in her bra. After the female officer arrived, Doller-Smith surrendered the drugs to her. Laboratory analysis revealed that the substance consisted of a mixture of fentanyl and tramadol and had a net weight of 46.53 grams.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2020 at 10:00 am. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court took the government’s request that Doller-Smith’s be revoked under advisement.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leo Ivory is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lower Burrell Police Department, and the New Kensington Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Doller-Smith.