PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of dealing heroin and fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Matthew David Adams, aka “Z", age 28, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Washington County resident Jesse James King died of an overdose on April 19, 2016 and that the Washington County Coroner’s Office determined that he had a deadly amount of the synthetic opiate fentanyl in his system. Stamp bags marked “OMG" were located near the victim’s body. The victim’s phone ultimately led police to the seller of the “OMG" stamp bags, the defendant Matthew Adams. Police apprehended Adams with 47 stamp bags in his possession just two days after the death of Mr. King. The 17 bags stamped “OMG" were determined to contain fentanyl, while the other 30 bags marked “Gator" were found to contain heroin.
Chief Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to a lifetime of supervision by federal Probation Officers. Adams, who was on probation as a result of a prior sentence from Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph K. Williams, III for a previous heroin dealing conviction, is expected to receive a sentence of 8 years in federal prison, at least 4 years of supervision and restitution to the family of the victim. He will also face an additional potential sentence from Judge Williams for committing the offense while on county probation.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded the defendant back to the custody of the United States Marshal Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ross E. Lenhardt and Katie A. King of the Violent Crimes Section are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Washington County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, and numerous local police departments including the Canonsburg Police Department, Houston Borough Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Kennedy Township Police Department, as well as the Washington County Coroner’s Office, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Matthew Adams.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
