A Seven Fields man has been sentenced in federal court to 106 months in prison on convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.

Durrell Fortson, 45, of Seven Fields, pleaded guilty Feb. 2 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.

According to information presented in court, on Nov. 16, 2022, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Fortson. During the stop, a drug K-9 conducted an exterior sniff of the vehicle and alerted an officer to the presence of controlled substances.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, and the subsequent search resulted in the seizure of two gallon-sized bags of cocaine, two kilogram wrappers with cocaine residue, a digital scale and a .40 caliber handgun loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement searched the serial number located on the loaded handgun and determined that the firearm had been reported stolen, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in an Oct. 22 news release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.