PITTSBURGH, PA – A Beaver County resident pleaded guilty in
federal court to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute
and distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W.
Brady announced today.
Rance Vaughn, age 22, of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, pleaded
guilty to one count before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised
that in 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies joined
forces in a multi-agency wiretap investigation of drug trafficking, including
fentanyl trafficking, in various areas of Western Pennsylvania. The
interception of wire and electronic communications began in March 2017, and
Rance Vaughn was intercepted over the wire conspiring with others to possess
with intent to distribute and distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for August 16, 2018, at
9:30 a.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum
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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and
Caitlin A. Loughran are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is part of a long-term investigation by the
FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, which targeted a large scale
Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny
Counties. The FBI, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney
General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s
Office, Allegheny County Police Department, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Vaughn.
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