PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of suburban Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearm and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Maurice Miller, age 34, formerly of Churchill, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Miller pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Miller also pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. Miller was part of a drug trafficking organization who referred to themselves as Hustlas Don’t Sleep which distributed numerous types of illegal narcotics for a number of years, mainly in the eastern part of the City of Pittsburgh and in the bordering communities, including Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, and Monroeville, among others. On Nov. 19, 2019, federal agents arrested Miller at a home on Wesley Street in Wilkinsburg, and executed a search warrant at that residence, where agents located six firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition of various makes and models, and substantial quantities of acetyl fentanyl, a potent analogue of fentanyl.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for July 26, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded Miller into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
