A Philadelphia resident has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for cocaine trafficking. James Pearcy, 60, received the sentence from United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan, following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The sentence includes 108 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release.
The court was informed that between January 2021 and June 2021, Pearcy conspired with others in the Western District of Pennsylvania to distribute and possess over 500 grams of cocaine. Evidence presented included intercepted communications where Pearcy was involved in obtaining and distributing quantities of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon led the prosecution on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan praised the efforts of multiple agencies in this case, highlighting the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for their roles in the investigation.
Additional agencies involved were the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department among other local law enforcement bodies.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations through a coordinated multi-agency approach.