Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison on his conviction for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Maurice Brooks, 37. Judge Ranjan also ordered Brooks to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Brooks previously pleaded guilty in this case to distributing fentanyl on May 2, 2022, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine on June 2, 2022. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Brooks distributed fentanyl and cocaine throughout May 2022 while Brooks was on parole following two convictions for cocaine trafficking from separate state prosecutions. Searches of Brooks’s residences in Farrell (Mercer County) in June 2022 also uncovered a stolen pistol along with additional fentanyl and cocaine.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brooks.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.