A former Clairton man was sentenced to nine years in a federal prison Tuesday for distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said in an announcement.
Elliot Page, 38, was ordered to spend 10 years on supervised release after the prison term on his conviction of conspiring to distribute narcotics and a weapons violation, Brady said.
Page distributed fentanyl to two co-defendants and others to sell in the Clairton area, according to authorities.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid more powerful than heroin, has been contributing to an explosion of drug overdose deaths in the region for the past few years. Fentanyl was developed as a painkiller and anesthetic for pharmaceutical uses, but the drug can be produced illicitly in overseas laboratories and brought into the country.
During a July 2017 search warrant, federal agents seized about 2. 2 pounds of fentanyl and three weapons from Page’s home. He was prohibited from having a firearm because of previous felony convictions, Brady said.
Fentanyl has been the top contributor to drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County since 2016, according to medical examiner statistics. From 2016 to 2018, fentanyl contributed to 1,287 deaths there.
