Recidivist Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Convicted at Trial on Cocaine and Fentanyl Charges

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - On September 23, 2024, a federal jury found Leon C. Ford guilty on two counts of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Ford, 58, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab in Pittsburgh.

According to evidence presented at trial, Ford, who has a prior federal conviction for drug trafficking, conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl between March 2021 and September 2021. Ford also possessed with the intent to distribute a kilogram of fentanyl on September 16, 2021. Ford was the subject of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which included, among other evidence, the seizure of a kilogram of fentanyl from a co-defendant’s residence that Ford was using as a stash house. The markings on the seized fentanyl were consistent with coded references Ford used in conversations intercepted pursuant to Title III wiretaps. Investigators also seized approximately $240,000 in drug proceeds from Ford’s own residence and vehicle.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $20 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court remanded Ford to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Jonathan D. Lusty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, McKeesport Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Fort Worth Police Department, and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ford.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.