Deangelo Ward, a 35-year-old resident of Cleveland, Ohio, now faces six years behind bars following his sentence for narcotics trafficking, which includes cocaine, fentanyl, and crack. According to a release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ward was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute the drugs. The sentencing, carried out by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan, occurred yesterday and will be followed by four years of supervised release.
The federal court heard that between July 2022 and March 2023, Ward was part of a conspiracy operating in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case documentation showed he was actively involved in moving significant quantities of narcotics—specifically 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and an amount of crack. Authorities caught onto Ward's operations through a federal wiretap, with which they intercepted communications of him obtaining and then distributing the substances.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted the case, which concluded with accolades from Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti for the comprehensive investigation efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies. The investigation melded the resources and expertise of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations, alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement groups.
