PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man submitted a guilty plea after nearly 1,000 bags of drugs were found in a vehicle he was driving.
Darion Ethridge, 26, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and heroin and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the DOJ announced Wednesday.
Ethridge’s prosecution follows a drug suppression operation by state and local law enforcement in Monroeville.
On June 24, 2021, authorities learned that a man driving a black Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows would bring 10 bricks of heroin to a hotel, prosecutors say.
When the Jeep arrived, a detective approached and told the driver to get out.
Instead, the driver reportedly reversed into the detective’s vehicle and drove through the parking lot until authorities boxed him in. He tried to run away, but was ultimately arrested.
Prosecutors say Ethridge had $3,952 on him. A stolen handgun and 991 bags of a fentanyl and heroin mixture were seized from the Jeep, along with a medical marijuana card and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections card with Ethridge’s name.
Ethridge is prohibited from having a gun due to four previous felony convictions in Allegheny County, according to the DOJ.
Ethridge’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14. He could face up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1 million for the drug trafficking charge. The gun charge carries between five years and life in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
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