A Pittsburgh man has entered a guilty plea to a federal charge of drug trafficking, according to a recent announcement by U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan. Dirk Barfield Jr., 38, appeared before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville, admitting to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, as reported by the Department of Justice.
The evidence brought to the court detailed how Barfield was caught in a joint operation by the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police in September 2022. It was revealed during the investigation that Barfield used to quickly make trips from a residence in Pittsburgh to Maserati to distribute cocaine. On September 13, 2022, when authorities executed search warrants on his property, Barfield attempted to discard bags of what was suspected to be controlled substances out of a window. Law enforcement promptly retrieved these bags upon their arrival.
Following the recovery of the bags and securing the residence, Barfield waived his rights and admitted to tossing approximately two ounces of cocaine and an ounce of crack cocaine outside. This illegal activity occurred while he was under federal supervised release for a previous drug trafficking conviction within the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing is set for January 21, 2025. Barfield faces up to 30 years in prison and a potential $2 million fine for the drug charge alone. He could also receive an additional prison term of up to five years for violating his federal supervised release. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines will ultimately influence the actual sentence, considering the gravity of the offense and Barfield's prior criminal history. Until sentencing, Barfield has been remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service's custody, as Judge Colville ordered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is handling the prosecution for the government. The case emerged from investigative efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police, which led to Barfield’s prosecution on these charges.
