Jul 8, 2017 2 min read

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A Washington man who was described as a “large-scale fentanyl and heroin trafficker” was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, according to acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song.

Jerome “Bubba” Barnes, 32 was named as the sole defendant in the six count indictment, which was returned June 28 and unsealed Friday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to bring federal charges against Barnes, a repeat federal felon.

“This indictment and arrest demonstrates what law enforcement can do to eliminate the deadly poisons being sold in our communities,” said Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone. “Law enforcement at all levels – municipal, county, state and federal – were involved in the investigation and apprehension of this defendant.”

According to the indictment, Barnes distributed heroin and fentanyl between April and June of 2017.

Barnes faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of $2 million, or both.

He remains in federal custody, in part, for allegedly violating a federal supervised release on his prior drug convictions.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, who was deputized to bring federal charges, is prosecuting the case.

“By deputizing a Washington County prosecutor to bring federal charges, we have added another dimension to our cooperative efforts to reduce overdose deaths,” said Song.