A 58-year-old man from Erie, Pennsylvania has been handed a sentence of more than six years in federal prison. This comes after he was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti made the announcement regarding the sentencing.
Walter Scott McMahon has been sentenced to 76 months in prison by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan on January 22, 2025. Following his prison term, he will also be under five years of supervised release. McMahon’s charges are related to his participation in methamphetamine trafficking in the Western District of Pennsylvania from July 2019 to June 2020.
According to court records, McMahon was involved in a conspiracy with others to distribute a methamphetamine mixture weighing 500 grams or more. Federal wiretaps revealed that McMahon was obtaining significant quantities of methamphetamine to distribute to other individuals.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuting the case. Several other agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and various local law enforcement entities, also participated in the investigation.
As part of an initiative by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the prosecution focused on targeting high-level drug traffickers and criminal networks. This involved a coordinated approach across federal, state, and local agencies.
