PITTSBURGH, PA – Two former residents of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on
charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W.
Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on August 13, named
Abraham Martinez, 50, and Donell Higginbotham, 40, as co-defendants. The
indictment, which was returned following a federal criminal complaint that was
filed on July 17, 2019, charges Martinez and Higginbotham with conspiring to distribute
and attempting to possess with intent to distribute 10 kilograms of cocaine.
According to the Affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, investigators
with the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation conducted a controlled purchase and delivery operation on July
16, 2019, and thereafter apprehended Martinez and Higginbotham with
approximately 10 kilograms of suspected cocaine and $310,000 in U.S. Currency.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in
prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of
$10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual
sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the
prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Both defendants remain
detained in prison until the resolution of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is
prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Safe
Streets Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in
this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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