Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Violation of Federal Firearm Laws

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a to a violation of federal firearms laws brought in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Jaimone Robinson, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV. Mr. Robinson is one of 40 defendants charged in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment returned in the case.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 12, 2019, Robinson was arrested by City of Pittsburgh police officers following the seizure of approximately 3 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture and a Ruger pistol with an obliterated serial number from the vehicle he had been driving. Text messages retrieved from his seized cell phone established that Robinson had obtained the fentanyl/heroin mixture shortly before his arrest from his co-defendant, Christopher Highsmith, and that he intended to sell the drugs to other individuals.

Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five (5) years and not more than life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United State Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.