Beverly Hills homes, fancy cars, now 34 years in prison for Pittsburgh fentanyl dealer
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A man who imported fentanyl from China into Pittsburgh and then used the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle in Beverly Hills will serve 34 years in federal prison.
Paris Carter, 35, had already been incarcerated since 2018. In March, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Carter began contacting potential fentanyl suppliers in China in February 2017 while still serving an earlier federal sentence for heroin distribution.
In addition, he sought out particularly potent forms of the drug, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Conway, including carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
“They knowingly risk causing fentanyl overdoses every time they make a sale, but they are so focused on themselves and making money that they just do not care if they kill people. This sentence should make the defendant, and fentanyl traffickers like him, understand the seriousness of their conduct and its enormous potential consequences,” the government wrote.
The U.S. Attorney’s office argued that Carter should receive a life sentence as called for under the advisory guidelines.
According to the investigation, between January 2017 and February 2018, Carter arranged to have multiple kilograms of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl imported from China to the Pittsburgh area. He then arranged to have the drugs sold, and laundered the proceeds through others.
Using the money from that enterprise, the U.S. Attorney’s office said, Carter moved to Beverly Hills. There, he rented two homes at $14,500 per month and $10,000 per months and leased two Bentleys and a Mercedes Benz.
“For a short time, the defendant may have had two Bentleys, fancy watches and clothes, and a Beverly Hills house, but in the long term, he will, if justice is served, be incarcerated the rest of his life,” Conway wrote. “Hopefully, that will send the message to those who looked up to the defendant and were envious of his lifestyle that a short-term ride in the fast lane is not worth the long-term consequences.”
Carter’s defense attorney asked for a lesser sentence, noting that he faced at least a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years.
Carter had a difficult childhood, the defense said, having been born with symptoms of narcotics withdrawal. He dropped out of school at age 12 and was living on the streets before becoming embroiled in the drug trade.
“Mr. Carter’s life has been defined by hardship, drug abuse, and a persistent lack of meaningful support — circumstances that merit careful consideration,” the defense wrote.