U.S. Attorney’s office dedicated to combating violent crimes, education, support
The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania focuses its energy on prosecuting crimes involving violence, sexual abuse of children and drug trafficking organizations.
In addition to the 450 to 500 criminal cases prosecuted each year, the office’s 56 assistant U.S. attorneys and dozens of staff in three regional offices are also committed to education and support services aimed at preventing crime and avoiding recidivism.
Troy Rivetti, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District, discussed the office’s functions and priorities Friday in a meeting with members of the Butler Eagle editorial department. The meeting came after he and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung met with Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger and county police chiefs.
“Violence is the touchstone of the work we do,” Rivetti said.
Violence and guns are frequently used in drug trafficking, which has evolved over the years, he said.
Fentanyl and heroin have replaced cocaine and crack cocaine as the priorities of federal law enforcement. Wire taps and informants are often used to identify traffickers and track the drugs they ship from Mexico into the United States, he said.
“I can assure you, our work in this area continues,” Rivetti said.
To meet demand, traffickers transport large quantities of raw heroin into the country where it is “stamped up,” or mixed with fentanyl or additives and placed in small stamp bags so it can be sold, he said.
Additives are added to create larger quantities that generate more profit, and fentanyl is added to make a stronger mix that addicts seek, he said.
Fentanyl is produced in labs, which makes it cheaper and easier to manufacture than heroin, which is made from poppy seed, he said.
Fentanyl is also formed into pills that dealers sell to people who might be looking to buy other drugs such as percocet.
“You have no idea what you are getting when you meet your drug dealer,” Rivetti said.
When requested, the U.S. Attorney’s office works with the Butler County Drug Task Force to develop cases against dealers, he said.
Adding Butler County to the other counties in the office’s existing “high intensity drug trafficking area” in Western Pennsylvania was discussed with Chung and Rivetti, Goldinger said.
He said Allegheny, Westmoreland, Beaver, Lawrence and Erie counties comprise the area now.
“I asked how we can join. They were open and receptive,” Goldinger said. “It would help us investigate and prosecute drug crimes. Obviously, that would be a benefit to Butler County.”
Other topics discussed in the two-hour meeting included domestic violence and federal inmates housed in the county prison.
A person convicted of state charges involving domestic violence are permitted to possess firearms, but those convicted of federal charges involving domestic violence can not, Goldinger said.
Chung indicated that her office is willing to consider federal charges in those cases, he said.
An agreement was reached to address crimes committed by federal inmates in the county prison, but Goldinger declined to offer specifics.
It is difficult for the county to prosecute federal inmates for committing a crime, such as assault, in the county prison because the county is not usually successful in having them returned for prosecution after they get transferred to federal prisons, he said.
“We discussed how we can work together to send a message to federal inmates that they don’t have free range without repercussions,” Goldinger said. “We have a game plan at this point that didn’t exactly exist before.”
There were 237 federal inmates among the 432 inmates in the prison as of Sept. 20.
“It was a very productive meeting,” Goldinger said.
