A federal judge on Wednesday noted the prolific distribution of powerful opioid fentanyl around the Pittsburgh region before sentencing a city man to federal prison for possessing the drug and others, along with a gun, according to federal prosecutors.

Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone sentenced 31-year-old Clarence Thomas to 28 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Thomas pleaded guilty in August to charges of possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The charges stem from a November 2019 search of his home by Pittsburgh police, according to court filings. The pistol had previously been reported stolen and authorities said they found a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and cocaine and crack cocaine. Thomas previously was convicted of felony drug trafficking.

He was ordered to forfeit the gun, ammunition and $2,388.

In a memorandum, prosecutors asked for a sentence that would deter Thomas from returning to a criminal activity that they said is detrimental to communities.

“Given the many societal problems associated with drug trafficking, deterring others from putting illicit drugs onto the street in the first place is paramount,” prosecutors wrote.

Defense attorney Robert Perkins argued in court papers for a short sentence, stating that the amount of drugs Thomas had was “minuscule” compared to other federal defendants. Perkins said Thomas sold drugs to support himself, and that he doesn’t intend to return to that life. He had been working as a laborer, according to court filings.

Fentanyl has been the top contributing drug in accidental overdose deaths in Allegheny County since at least 2017, according to OverdoseFreePA.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)