McKees Rocks Career Offender Sentenced to More Than Twelve and a Half Years in Prison for Possession of Crack, Fentanyl, and Firearm

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 151 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Glendale Smith, 35, on November 6, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, on July 24, 2024, police officers approached Smith, who was the subject of multiple active arrest warrants, in the Larimer area of Pittsburgh. As Smith fled from the officers, he threw a bag containing 22 grams of crack cocaine and 30 stamp bags of fentanyl, in addition to the keys to his vehicle. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a stolen firearm loaded with an extended magazine.

At the time he committed the instant offense, Smith was on parole for illegally possessing a firearm and possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance in an Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case. This federal conviction is the defendant's third adult conviction, and fourth conviction overall, for illegally possessing a firearm, as well as his third drug trafficking conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan found the defendant to be a career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines because he is at least 18 years old, his instant offense is a controlled substance offense, and he had at least two prior felony convictions for either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense.

Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Smith.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.