Donora man pleads guilty to cocaine trafficking in federal court
A Donora man pleaded guilty to federal cocaine trafficking charges Wednesday following the dismantling of a large-scale, multi-state trafficking ring sourced by Mexican cartels.
Edward Alford II, 32, was identified as a member of the Lightfoot drug trafficking organization following a lengthy investigation. He was one of 39 people charged in April 2018 as a result of the investigation, which yielded $2 million in drugs including hundreds of kilos of cocaine, plus heroin and marijuana.
Alford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady announced Thursday.
He was accused of conspiring with others to import large amounts of cocaine and marijuana into western Pennsylvania and resell large amounts in Washington, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Alford could face a sentence of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million, Brady said.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and state police, assisted by Perryopolis, South Strabane, Elizabeth and Penn Hills police departments.