Turnpike drug suspect sentenced to 9 years in prison for transporting 400 'bricks' of heroin
A former Philadelphia man was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in federal prison for transporting about 20,000 packets of heroin three years ago when state police stopped him along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township.
Cristobal Rosa-Robles, 51, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh by a federal judge, after pleading guilty in April to charges of possession with intent to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin in April, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh. Rosa-Robles also was sentenced to serve four years of probation.
Rosa-Robles was arrested by state police, who had stopped him along the the turnpike in March 2019 for traffic violations. A trooper suspected Rosa-Robles may be involved in illegal drugs and got permission to search his sport utility vehicle. A hidden compartment had about 400 “bricks” — equal to 200,000 doses — were stashed, police said.
The drugs contained a mixture of heroin; fentanyl; valeryl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue; and methamphetamine, prosecutors said.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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