PITTSBURGH, PA — A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release on his convictions for violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Guy Wallar, Jr., age 25.
According to information presented to the court, on June 28, 2021, officers with the Duquesne Police Department noticed a male seated in the driver seat of a parked vehicle who was slumped over the arm rest. The vehicle was in the Truman Towers parking lot, a known drug trafficking area that had a shooting earlier that day. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officers detected the strong odor of burning marijuana and observed, in plain view, the driver sleeping, marijuana, and drug packaging material.
The officers woke the driver and asked him to exit the vehicle. The driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle, identified himself as Guy Wallar, Jr. Wallar then requested to show the officers something in the vehicle. As Mr. Wallar attempted to access the vehicle, officers told him to stop for fear of the destruction of evidence and officer safety. However, Wallar again tried to access the vehicle, and officers detained him. A search of Mr. Wallar incident to his arrest resulted in the seizure of marijuana, a cellular phone, and $8,517.00.
Officers requested consent to search the vehicle, which Wallar granted. The subsequent search resulted in the seizure of approximately 110 net grams of cocaine, an additional cellular phone, suspected narcotics, and a Polymer 80 pistol containing 16 rounds of ammunition.
On July 1, 2021, the same officers who arrested Wallar on June 28, 2021, observed Wallar walking out of Truman Towers. Based upon their recent interactions with Wallar and the Polymer 80, the officers asked for consent to search Wallar for weapons. Wallar consented, and an officer patted down Waller, feeling a baggie of suspected narcotics in his pocket. The officer pulled a baggie from the pocket, and it contained approximately six net grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack. The officers again arrested Mr. Wallar, and a search incident to arrest resulted in the seizure of two cellular phones and $882.00.
Following the return of the Superseding Indictment, law enforcement arrested Wallar near his vehicle on October 5, 2021. During the arrest, law enforcement observed a marijuana blunt in plain view within the vehicle. Subsequently, law enforcement applied for and obtained a federal search warrant for the vehicle. The search resulted in the seizure of small quantities of suspected marijuana and cocaine, in addition to $10,471.00.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the City of Duquesne Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wallar.