A California man has pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws.
James White, 39, of Seiad Valley, was accused of transporting more than 250 pounds of marijuana from Oregon to various post offices in Nevada. White then mailed parcels containing marijuana on behalf of George Charlan, a supplier living in Oregon, to distributors living in the Western District of Pennsylvania, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung.
White’s arrest is related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Jefferson, Clearfield and Allegheny counties. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana before a federal judge. He was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the “Return to Sender” investigation.
Sentencing for White is scheduled for 1 p.m. Jan. 26 in federal court. The law provides for a sentence of a maximum of five years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, or both. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.
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.
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