McKees Rocks Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Supervised Release Violations

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on September 11, 2024, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Devon Lamont Johnson, 36, also sentencing Johnson on two separate violations of his supervised release. In both of those cases, Johnson was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, with the sentences to be served concurrently with one another but consecutively to the sentencing in the fentanyl case, for a total term of imprisonment of 11 years and one day.

According to the information presented to the Court, Allegheny County detectives were working on violent crime suppression detail in the Stowe/McKees Rocks area on April 5, 2021, when they responded to a shots fired call, possibly involving a dark SUV. Shortly after, officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop of a black Chevrolet Blazer, the driver of which managed to evade detectives. Detectives later found the vehicle unoccupied and obtained a search warrant for the SUV, from which they seized 12 bricks (approximately 600 doses) of suspected fentanyl with bags stamped "Monster High" and "Toad."

On April 14, 2021, agents made a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Johnson. The purchased bags of fentanyl were stamped with a "Toad," identical to the stamp bags previously found in the Chevy Blazer. Based on that information, the detectives obtained a search warrant for a Taggert Street residence, which they executed on April 21, 2021. As detectives were approaching the residence, Johnson was exiting the front door, but he closed the door and retreated inside upon observing the presence of police. Officers pursued the defendant and secured him prior to his destroying any evidence.

During the search of the residence, detectives located 12 bricks of suspected fentanyl and a drink container with a hidden compartment that contained a knotted baggie of approximately 50 tablets of fentanyl. The bricks, some of which were stamped with "Toad," were packaged in a similar manner to the stamp bags found in the car, with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office also finding the defendant's fingerprints on a shopping bag that contained the bricks. Johnson's conduct violated the conditions of his supervised release for two previous criminal convictions, for escape from custody and distribution of heroin.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Allegheny County Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Johnson.