PITTSBURGH – Omari Patton and Dashawn Burley were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for prison contraband crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The Indictment charges Patton, age 43, formerly of Pittsburgh, and Burley, age 23, of Monroeville, with multiple counts of providing, or attempting to provide, contraband to an inmate of a federal prison in September and October 2018. The Indictment also charges Patton with multiple counts of possessing, and attempting to obtain, contraband while in federal prison in September 2018. The Indictment states that the contraband was a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,250,000. Under the Under States 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 Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.