Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to hiding drug money in Penn Hills real estate

A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to selling more than a pound of cocaine and funneling his profits into real estate purchases as a form of money laundering, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Anthony Bentley, 44, who goes by the nickname “Poundcake,” also agreed to forfeit $218,000 in cash that officials seized during a search of his home, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said.

As part of his guilty plea, the Homewood resident admitted that between May 2015 and January 2016, he conspired to sell large quantities of powder cocaine, Brady said.

On Oct. 20, 2015, prosecutors said he sold about 489 grams of cocaine — or nearly 1.1 pounds — to an informant and then laundered the money he pocketed through several real estate transactions in Pittsburgh and its suburbs. The purchases included at least two properties in Penn Hills: a commercial building on Laketon Road and a house on Curtis Street.

Searches of properties he owned or controlled turned up several weapons and ammunition, including an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle and an M-16 fully automatic machine gun, prosecutors said. As a felon, Bentley was prohibited from possessing any firearms.

Bentley could face five to 40 years in prison and fines up to $5 million in connection to the latest charges.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 22.