PITTSBURGH — A McKees Rocks man has been sentenced in federal court to 151 months in prison on drug distribution and firearm charges, federal authorities announced.
U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan sentenced Glendale Smith, 35, on Nov. 6, following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl, alongside illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
The sentence stems from an arrest on July 24, 2024, when Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers approached Smith in the city’s Larimer area while attempting to execute multiple active arrest warrants.
As officers approached, Smith reportedly ran from the scene while discarding a bag that contained 22 grams of crack cocaine, 30 stamp bags of fentanyl and the keys to his vehicle.
Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered a stolen firearm loaded with an extended magazine. At the time of the encounter, Smith was serving parole stemming from a prior conviction in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas involving illegal firearm possession and controlled substance distribution.
Before imposing the sentence, Judge Ranjan formally designated Smith as a career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The judge based the determination on criteria requiring the defendant to be at least 18 years old, for the current offense to involve a controlled substance and for the defendant to have at least two prior felony convictions involving violence or drug offenses.
The federal case marks Smith’s third adult conviction and fourth overall conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. The case also represents his third drug trafficking conviction. Under federal law, individuals with previous felony convictions are prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle handled the prosecution on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti publicly commended the investigative work performed by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, which led to Smith’s conviction and sentencing.
The prosecution was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime across 94 federal districts. Coordinated through local U.S. Attorneys’ offices, the program brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to focus on high-priority public safety challenges within local communities.
The project serves as a key element of Operation Take Back America, supporting federal enforcement efforts and President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces. The initiative emphasizes three core operational principles: a rapid federal response to violent crime, strategic multi-agency partnerships and accountability through the prosecution of serious criminal offenses.
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