Monessen man pleads guilty to helping run one of Western Pennsylvania's largest cocaine rings

A Monessen man pleaded guilty to helping run a cross-country cocaine ring that was among the largest in Western Pennsylvania history, federal prosecutors said.

Deaubre Lightfoot, 29, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams (about a pound) or more of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said. Lightfoot ran the ring, referred to as the Lightfoot-Mendoza drug trafficking organization, with his brother, Jamie Lightfoot Jr., who this year pleaded guilty for his involvement, prosecutors said.

The ring stretched from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and included connections to Mexican cartels, officials said.

Also involved were interstate drug trafficker Don Juan Mendoza, formerly of Lawrenceville, Ga., and the brothers’ father, Jamie Lightfoot Sr., who participated in the ring from federal prison, prosecutors said.

The two-year investigation, called Operation Heavy Hand, involved federal, state and local police.

In all, 39 people were indicted, officials said.

According to investigators, the drugs, which included heroin and marijuana in addition to the cocaine, were brought into the area in either a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van or a large RV. Once here, the drugs were stored at the brothers’ homes and distributed to co-conspirators in almost every region of Western Pennsylvania, prosecutors said.

Deaubre Lightfoot worked with others to traffic the drugs from April 2017 to Nov. 5, 2017, Brady said.

In November 2017, officials caught one of the ring’s RVs attempting to haul cocaine and heroin from Los Angeles to Jamie Lightfoot Jr.’s Penn Hills home.

Searches of the homes and vehicles of those accused of participating in the ring also turned up marijuana, illegal steroids, guns and nearly $1 million in cash, officials said.

On Dec. 12, 2017, FBI investigators recovered a kilogram of cocaine (a little more than 2 pounds) from Deaubre Lightfoot’s residence.

Brady described the bust as one of the largest ever of its kind in the region at a time when “cocaine is making a comeback.”

All told, the amount of cocaine seized had a street value of $2 million.

Deaubre Lightfoot’s sentencing has been set for April 16. He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.