PITTSBURGH - Jermaine Edmonds and William Johnson, both from Pittsburgh, were sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh for violating federal drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Edmonds, 35, and Johnson, 37, were sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. They were both convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in August 2013 of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and attempting to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Edmonds was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison followed by eight years supervised release. Johnson was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison followed by eight years supervised release.
Both Edmonds and Johnson were under court supervision following imprisonment imposed for prior drug trafficking convictions when they conspired and attempted to acquire over $90,000 worth of cocaine with the intent to distribute it in the Pittsburgh area. Edmonds’ prior drug trafficking sentence was reduced as a result of reductions to the federal crack cocaine sentencing guidelines. As a result of those reductions, he was released from incarceration in November 2011 - three years prior to when he was scheduled to be released from prison. He committed the additional cocaine conspiracy and attempt crimes less than 10 months after his prior sentence reduction.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentences in this case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
