Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking & Firearms Crimes

Sunday, July 20, 2025, 9:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News, 

PITTSBURGH, PA.- A 31-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, convicted felon will be facing up to 35 years in federal prison, after pleading guilty last Wednesday, to possessing a stolen gun while distributing deadly fentanyl and cocaine within the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area.

     According to Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Ronell Cathie, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn J. Horan to a criminal information charging Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Fentanyl and Cocaine; and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Convicted Felon.

     Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Horan accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 12, 2025. At that time, Cathie, on the firearms charge, faces up to 15 years in federal prison, at least one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. On the charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, Cathie faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

According To Charging Information Filed With The District Court

     According to the charging documents filed with the District Court, beginning in March 2024 and lasting through July 2024, Cathie participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine within the Western District of Pennsylvania, specifically within the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region.

     During the investigation, on July 19, 2024, Federal Agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at Cathie’s residence. During the search, Investigators located and seized a stolen firearm, a magazine, and multiple rounds of ammunition.

     Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence from owning or possessing a firearm and ammunition. Cathie knew that when he possessed the stolen firearm on July 19, 2024, he was a prohibited person due to multiple prior felony convictions.

     Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to Cathie’s guilty plea.