Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking Charge

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a federal drug trafficking charge, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Dirk Barfield Jr., 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in September 2022, Barfield was the subject of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. The investigation revealed that Barfield would travel from a Pittsburgh residence in his Maserati to distribute cocaine. On September 13, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants upon Barfield and the Pittsburgh residence. When law enforcement announced their presence from outside the residence, Barfield threw bags of suspected controlled substances from a second floor window onto the yard. Law enforcement recovered the bags and made entry into the residence, where, following a waiver of his rights, Barfield admitted to throwing about two ounces of cocaine and one ounce of crack from the window. At the time Barfield committed this crime, he was serving a term of federal supervised release related to his last drug trafficking conviction in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up $250,000, or both on the drug charge, and a term of imprisonment of up to five years on the federal supervised release violation. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, Judge Colville ordered Barfield remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barfield.