Monessen man indicted on drug trafficking, gun charges
A Monessen man previously convicted of felonies in Washington County was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for allegedly trafficking heroin while illegally possessing a weapon.
U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton alleges that Laurenti James Robertson, 25, intended to sell a mixed substance containing heroin Oct. 24, according to the indictment.
Robertson also allegedly possessed a 9-mm semi-automatic Kel-Tec pistol and ammunition. The indictment further indicates Robertson was found with nearly $2,000 in cash and a silver skull mask.
He was not permitted to possess a firearm because of two previous felony convictions in Washington County. In 2013, he was convicted of both robbery and theft by deception.
If convicted by the federal grand jury of drug trafficking and weapons violations, the crimes carry a sentence of five years to life in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The case is prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a joint effort between federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and communities to reduce gun violence.
Robertson is charged with illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, court documents indicate.
He is lodged in Allegheny County Jail, according to court documents.