Wilkinsburg man found guilty of federal gun and drug crimes
A Wilkinsburg man accused of running a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy and federal firearms violations has been found guilty in federal court.
Cameron Basking, 28, was convicted of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Authorities said he was part of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Allegheny County in 2018 from January to March.
Basking would receive large amounts of fentanyl from two co-conspirator suppliers and then mix that fentanyl for future resale. He used multiple locations in Allegheny County to cut and mix, store, and sell the fentanyl.
Members of the FBI’s Western Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed search warrants at multiple locations and vehicles tied to Basking, among them two places in Wilkinsburg and one in North Versailles.
Investigators recovered more than 40 grams of fentanyl, thousands of stamp bags, blenders and grinders, digital scales, fentanyl packing material, gas masks to protect from fentanyl exposure, a fully-loaded 9mm Glock handgun, a fully-loaded Bushmaster .308-caliber assault rifle, two extended 9mm magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 10.
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.
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