New York City man sentenced for drug distribution in Pittsburgh area

A New York City man arrested twice in less than three years for bringing large amounts of drugs into the Pittsburgh area was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in a federal prison.

Christopher Delacruz, 35, was first arrested during a traffic stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County in October 2020. State police reported finding four pounds of fentanyl hidden in an SUV in which he was traveling.

While he was free on $20,000 unsecured bond in that case, Delacruz was arrested again in March 2023 outside the Pittsburgh Greyhound bus station. Agents from the state attorney general’s office found him carrying a bag containing 300 bricks of fentanyl.

Delacruz was ordered to spend five years on supervised release after the prison term.

He was riding with Juan Pimentel, 34, on the turnpike. The pair told troopers they were traveling to Pittsburgh for the day to visit friends, but they appeared nervous during the stop, according to court papers. A record check showed the SUV had been in the Pittsburgh area five times since the previous month, police said.

Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute. Delacruz pleaded guilty to an additional drug offense in that case and possession with intent to distribute in the Pittsburgh bust. He’s been detained since that arrest.

In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors asked for a lengthy sentence.

“The impact of his crimes on society is highly detrimental and the impact of the punishment on this defendant ought to be equally serious,” prosecutors wrote. “In particular, the deadly nature of the fentanyl/heroin epidemic cannot be understated.”

Defense attorney Lyle Dresbold asked the judge to follow a plea agreement with prosecutors and sentence Delacruz to 10 years in prison.

“The fentanyl scourge has reached a crisis level in this country and couriers are an essential part of the problem,” Dresbold wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “A 10-year sentence recognizes the gravity of his actions but also provides an opportunity for rehabilitation and growth.”

Pimentel was sentenced in May to two years in a federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He did not have a prior criminal record and was considered to be less culpable in the turnpike case, according to court filings.