37 Suspects Appear In Federal Court As Part Of Alleged Local Drug Ring
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Federal agents arrested dozens of people allegedly involved in a local drug trafficking ring that they say began operating last January.
All 37 suspects, mostly from the Pittsburgh area, were present in federal court downtown Thursday after being accused of trafficking heroin and fentanyl.
Fentanyl is designed to treat cancer patients and it's about 100-times more powerful than Morphine.
However, when it's abused, it's added to heroin. This makes it high-addictive and deadly.
The suspects that were in court are accused of conspiring to sell more than one kilogram of heroin, 400 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack.
Some also face charges of possessing illegal firearms.
One of the ringleaders is identified as 26-year-old Christopher Highsmith of Irwin.
The FBI led several local police departments to help with the breakup of this suspected drug ring as part of the federally funded organized crime drug enforcement task force.