Three individuals from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have entered guilty pleas in a federal court concerning their involvement in a cross-state drug trafficking operation. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the development, highlighting that these defendants were part of a larger group of 27 individuals indicted in March 2023 for participating in a narcotics conspiracy involving fentanyl, cocaine, crack, and heroin.
The defendants who pleaded guilty this week before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan are Robert Hurst from North Royalton, Ohio; Melissa Frain from Indiana, Pennsylvania; and Kevin Thomas from Newark, New Jersey. Hurst and Frain entered their pleas on May 28, while Thomas did so on May 29.
The court was informed that between October 2022 and March 2023, within the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hurst conspired to possess with intent to distribute significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. Similarly, Frain's involvement spanned September 2021 to January 2022 with distributions of cocaine mixtures. Thomas was involved in similar activities during the same period as Hurst.
Hurst held a managerial role within the New Kensington-based drug trafficking group. Although primarily residing in Cleveland, Ohio, he maintained a distribution site in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. His responsibilities included making key decisions about drug supplies within the organization.
Judge Horan has set sentencing for September 17, 2025. The law stipulates potential sentences ranging from five years to 40 years imprisonment and fines up to $5 million. Sentences will consider both offense severity and any prior criminal history.
Following these pleas, 22 out of the original 27 defendants have admitted guilt; among them is Misti Durante from Indiana, Pennsylvania. She received time served for her involvement earlier this week.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. leads the prosecution against these defendants following an investigation by multiple agencies including the FBI’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations.
This case forms part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level drug traffickers through collaborative efforts across various law enforcement agencies.
