PITTSBURGH, PA — In a stern message to criminals, a Pittsburgh resident found himself facing 35 long years behind bars after being convicted of an array of firearm and drug trafficking crimes. This sentence comes while he was still under federal supervision following a previous prison stint for similar offenses.
Randale Chapman, a 36-year-old repeat offender, was handed the hefty sentence by United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. The judge also ordered that Chapman serve an additional six years of supervised release following his prison term.
Chapman’s latest run-in with the law concluded in July 2023 when a federal jury found him guilty of several crimes committed on April 30, 2020. These included possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and methylenedioxyamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
The serial offender was also found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute oxycodone and methamphetamine on February 5, 2021.
The court was informed that Chapman was on federal supervised release when he committed these drug trafficking and firearm crimes in 2020 and 2021. His supervised release term had begun in 2019 following a previous 109-month federal prison sentence for conspiring to distribute heroin and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime back in 2010.
Adding another layer to Chapman’s criminal history, it was revealed during the trial and sentencing that he was on probation for a Pennsylvania state-court heroin trafficking conviction when he committed his previous federal drug trafficking and gun crimes in 2010.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller led the prosecution against Chapman on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan commended the Pittsburgh Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service for their investigation, which led to the successful prosecution of Chapman.
The 35-year sentence handed down to Chapman sends a clear and resounding message to criminals that repeat offending will not be tolerated, and the law will come down hard on those who continue to flout it.
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