Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Cocaine Dealer and Money Launderer to Prison for 12 Years

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years' imprisonment and five years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws and money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Garfield Campbell, also known as "Sean Grant", age 45. 

According to information presented to the court, Campbell participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance from in and April 2017, and continuing thereafter to in and around April 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Campbell also pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering, from in and April 2017, and continuing thereafter to in and around April 2019. Specifically, Campbell was part of a conspiracy in which individuals, many of whom were born in Jamaica, mailed kilograms of cocaine from California to individuals in the Western District of Pennsylvania, including Campbell, who then arranged for its further distribution. The conspiracy also involved Campbell and others mailing packages containing currency back to the California cocaine suppliers, also through the mail. Federal agents obtained Court authorization and intercepted the communications of members of the conspiracy, including Campbell, and they also executed numerous search warrants. As part of his guilty plea, Campbell acknowledged that he was responsible for between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Marnie Sheehan-Balcon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Campbell. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. In this case, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force and the New Castle Police Department also participated in the investigation.

OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. It is the keystone of the drug reduction strategy of the Department of Justice. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.