A woman from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has admitted guilt in federal court to charges related to the violation of narcotics laws. United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan made the announcement.
Jessica Wilson, aged 39, confessed to Count One of two separate Superseding Indictments before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan on January 14, 2025.
The court was informed that from January 2021 to July 2021, within the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute quantities of heroin, cocaine base commonly known as crack, and methamphetamine. Federal wiretap evidence showed Wilson acquiring drugs for distribution. Furthermore, between April 2024 and June 2024, she conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine mixtures.
Judge Horan has set sentencing for May 8, 2025. Each count could result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison or a fine up to $1 million or both. Sentencing will consider the severity of the offenses and any prior criminal history under federal guidelines.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Arnold P. Bernard Jr. are handling prosecution duties for the government.
The investigation leading to Wilson's prosecution involved several agencies: The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service among others at state and local levels including various police departments.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at targeting high-level drug traffickers using a coordinated multi-agency approach involving federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts against criminal networks.