PITTSBURGH, PA - After deliberating for two hours, a federal jury of seven men and five women found Taurean Potter guilty of one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and one count of Distribution of Cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Potter, age 33, of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania was tried before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Yvonne Saadi, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that Potter sold cocaine out of Ellwood City bars in 2017 and 2018, and he sold cocaine to other cocaine dealers who would further distribute the cocaine. In addition, on Oct. 14, 2017, Potter sold cocaine to an undercover narcotics agents with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for Oct. 31, 2019. The law provides for a total sentence of sixty years in prison, a fine of $4,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, in conjunctions with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Potter.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
