PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Eliezer Rodriguez, age 41, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Rodriguez was in possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, all on or about Oct. 3, 2018.
Judge Cercone scheduled the sentencing for June 17, 2020. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of not more than $1,250,000, 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Beaver Falls Police Department and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
