PITTSBURGH — Federal law enforcement officials in Pittsburgh on Friday announced charges against almost 60 people around the country allegedly involved in a large-scale drug operation and the seizure of millions of fentanyl pills.
In a press conference at the U.S. Courthouse Downtown, Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti said the years-long investigation dubbed Operation Lake Effect targeted people in Western Pennsylvania and others in Washington state, Arizona and northern Ohio. He said others are being charged in state court in Westmoreland County.
Rivetti said agents fanned out Thursday and arrested 24 people in Western Pennsylvania, plus more in Arizona and in northern Ohio.
While the drug operation provided a variety of illicit narcotics, officials repeatedly mentioned how they were able to interrupt the flow of fentanyl and other substances laced with fentanyl.
FBI-Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall said agents had been able to take 2 million fentanyl pills off the street, adding, “think how many overdoses that prevented.”
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge William Walker said the investigation began In Johnstown with low-level dealers and eventually spread to Mexico, the ultimate source of the drugs. Officials would not detail the Johnstown operation, but Rivetti added a gang from Cleveland was also involved early on.
In a separate news release, Rivetti said 57 people have been charged in two related indictments. He said the investigation began in 2018, starting with a violent street gang, and eventually moved to agents using wiretaps.
Those interceptions revealed the drug organization had operations in Indiana, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties, plus Phoenix, Cleveland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Wichita, Kansas, and Mexico.
According to the press release, “investigators have seized more than 673 pounds of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills, over 400 pounds of methamphetamine, and more than 16 pounds each of fentanyl powder and cocaine, over $600,000 in cash, nine vehicles, and 47 firearms.”
Officials at the press conference indicated a man named Robert Hurst was a leader of the drug operation, and the news release lists Robert Hurst, 44, of North Royalton, Ohio, first in a list of 25 residents of Ohio and Pennsylvania who have been indicted.
A separate indictment, according to the news release, charges 29 other people, most of those from Arizona.
———
