A federal jury in Pittsburgh has convicted Tre Robert Goins, 31, of Donora, Pennsylvania, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The verdict was announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti on August 28, 2025.
Goins was tried before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. According to evidence presented during the trial, Goins fled from a traffic stop initiated by the City of Duquesne Police Department on May 24, 2024. The incident led to a high-speed chase exceeding 100 mph and ended with Goins crashing his vehicle. Law enforcement recovered fentanyl, cocaine, and a stolen loaded firearm from the car. The jury determined that Goins possessed the firearm as part of his drug trafficking activities.
In July 2025, Goins pleaded guilty to two additional charges related to the same incident: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $1 million for these offenses. For his conviction at trial for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces an additional sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison (to be served consecutively), as well as possible fines up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Katherine C. Jordan are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the City of Clairton Police Department; the City of Duquesne Police Department; and the Elizabeth Township Police Department.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results,” according to the press release.
