PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to launder proceeds of marijuana trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Holly Shrum, 29, of the City’s Overbrook neighborhood, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies conducted a multi-year investigation of a marijuana trafficking conspiracy. The investigation revealed that during the operation of the conspiracy, Shrum conspired to launder proceeds obtained through the marijuana trafficking. According to information provided to the court, Shrum and her boyfriend, codefendant Christopher Schanck, were caught attempting to launder $25,000 in drug proceeds at the Rivers Casino by inserting $20 bills into a gaming machine in increments of $500 and then cashing out the vouchers, without ever having gambled at the casino.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2020, at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, 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.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Indiana Borough Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Shrum. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
