HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty and will serve up to 16 years in state prison for trafficking heroin/fentanyl to Butler County.
Investigators determined that 33-year-old Quinzal Powell trafficked more than one thousand bricks (each containing several bundles) of heroin/fentanyl from Philadelphia for distribution by cohorts in western Pennsylvania.
Powell pleaded guilty Monday in Butler County Court to felony possession with intent to deliver and will serve 8 to 16 years in state prison, in accordance with a plea agreement.
“This upper-level trafficker traveled many miles to distribute bricks of fentanyl, valuing personal profits over the lives of Pennsylvanians dying every day from this extremely lethal substance,” Attorney General Henry said. “This case is another testament to the power of law enforcement working together to remove predatory dealers from our neighborhoods.”
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, along with Butler County Detectives and Butler City police, assisted in the investigation.
Officials determined that Powell brought numerous shipments of heroin/fentanyl to Butler County during 2020 for distribution by two charged cohorts, Desirae Feitl and Crystal Pakutz.
On Oct. 15, 2020, police stopped Powell’s vehicle and a search uncovered 1,150 bags of stamped fentanyl hidden under a center console.
Feitl previously pleaded guilty to one count of felony possession with intent to deliver and was sentenced to 6½ to 16 years of incarceration in December of 2022 for her role in the organization. Pakutz’s case is still pending. She is presumed innocent.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara J. Cotter.
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