Former Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison f...

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 34 years of imprisonment, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Paris Carter, 35. Earlier this year, a federal jury in Pittsburgh found Carter guilty of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to information presented to the Court, between January 2017 and February 2018, Carter arranged for the illegal importation of multiple kilograms of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl directly from China into the Pittsburgh area and then arranged for the distribution of those drugs in the Pittsburgh area. Using the proceeds of his drug trafficking, Carter moved to Beverly Hills, California, where he rented two different homes at costs of $14,500 and $10,000 per month and also leased three vehicles: two Bentleys and a Mercedes Benz.

The evidence at trial also established that Carter laundered his drug trafficking proceeds by using others to initiate financial transactions in their names to pay for the drugs obtained from China. He also provided drug proceeds to approximately seven other individuals who used the funds to purchase cashier checks that Carter then used as downpayments on his vehicles, which he arranged to lease in the name of his aunt and co-defendant, Tamara Carter, whom the jury acquitted at trial.

"Paris Carter's time driving Bentleys and living a life of luxury in Beverly Hills has come to an end," said U.S. Attorney Olshan. "Today, a federal judge imposed a 34-year prison sentence, an appropriate punishment for a defendant who flooded the Pittsburgh area with kilogram quantities of Chinese-sourced fentanyl. Holding the most dangerous and prolific drug traffickers accountable to the fullest extent of the law is and will remain a top priority for our office and our valued partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement."

"We hope the magnitude of this sentence is a deterrent to anyone who is considering becoming involved in the drug trafficking business, particularly involving life threatening synthetic opioids like fentanyl," said Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. "The fact that Paris Carter will be behind bars for multiple decades should be a welcomed sigh of relief for our community members. This is a testament that Postal Inspectors will use all available resources to hold accountable those who use the mail for nefarious activity. At our core, we strive to keep the mail system safe, and ensure the trust of the American public. We want to thank our law enforcement partners for helping us achieve our goal."

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Horan noted the serious nature and impact of Carter's crimes and stated that her sentencing of the defendant reflected both the course of conduct Carter chose to pursue and flagrancy Carter adopted in his actions.

Carter had previously been convicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania of a serious drug felony-namely, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, for which he was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment in 2011.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service, which worked with numerous other federal and state law enforcement agencies, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carter.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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.