PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on her conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Amy Bortot, age 53.
According to information presented to the court, Bortot was a United States Postal Service mail carrier who used her position to identify multiple addresses on her mail route that she provided to Derek Hillebrand, who instructed his Oregon-based supplier to send parcels containing methamphetamine and marijuana to those addresses. Bortot then either delivered the parcels directly to Hillebrand or to one of his associates rather than to the listed mailing address. In total, Bortot delivered at least one parcel containing approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and multiple parcels containing approximately 80 kilograms of marijuana to Hillebrand or his associates.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bortot.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.