Delaware man pleads guilty to drug trafficking in PA court

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Delaware man pleaded guilty in federal court after an investigation found he trafficked heroin in Western Pennsylvania.

Paul Smith, 46, of Middletown, Delaware, pleaded guilty to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, according to United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. Smith’s guilty plea was presented before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.

An investigation by the FBI’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations found that Smith conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of “a mixture and substance containing heroin,” according to Olshan.

Smith was allegedly caught on a federal wiretap obtaining the drugs that he sold to others. Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 21, 2025. The law provides for a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both.

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Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on
behalf of the government.

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