Julian Thompson, a 33-year-old resident of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty on Mar. 10 in federal court to charges of failing to surrender for a prison term and distributing fentanyl and heroin while a fugitive, according to United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces when individuals do not comply with court-ordered sentences and continue criminal activity while evading authorities.
Court records show that Thompson was sentenced on Nov. 21, 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania to ten years in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court allowed him to self-surrender at a later date, but he failed to do so. This led the U.S. Marshals Service Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force to begin searching for him.
Authorities learned in the summer of 2025 that Thompson had returned to Pittsburgh and was again distributing controlled substances. In September 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation purchased drugs from Thompson containing fentanyl and heroin packaged in more than 250 glassine bags. Subsequent searches resulted in the seizure of a loaded drum magazine, jewelry, and $65,900.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2026. The maximum penalty for failing to surrender is up to ten years in prison—served consecutively with any other sentence—and a fine up to $250,000. For drug distribution, Thompson faces up to thirty years in prison and fines up to $2 million. Judge Hardy ordered Thompson remanded into custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
