Date: Nov. 14, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Johnstown, PA — A resident of Indiana, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Barry Baker pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson on November 13, 2024. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around December 2021 to in and around March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Baker conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of crack cocaine. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Baker. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies. IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.
