PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Dondi Searcy Jr., age 37, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Searcy Jr. participated in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If this case would have proceeded to trial, the government would have proven that Searcy Jr. was part of a cocaine-distribution conspiracy focused on New Castle, Pennsylvania. The conspiracy involved cocaine imported from Mexico into California, that the California conspirators mailed the cocaine to the New Castle area, and that Searcy Jr. and others then distributed. The evidence that government would have presented included intercepted communications obtained through court authorization, surveillance, controlled purchases from Searcy, Jr. and other conspirators, search warrants of locations associated with Searcy, Jr., and various other investigative techniques.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for July 26, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years in prison and up to life, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Searcy, along with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the New Castle Police Department.
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.