Pittsburgh man sentenced to 37 months in prison on federal narcotics charges

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man was sentenced Friday to 37 months in prison on federal narcotics charges following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Postal Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Patrick Taylor, 34, of Pittsburgh, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

According to court records, from November 12, 2011 through March 6, 2013, Taylor conspired with others to distribute and possess a methylone-derived substance, which is a Schedule I controlled substance. Taylor contacted a source of supply in China via the Internet, and arranged for the importation of kilogram quantities of the substance.

Methylone is a psychoactive chemical that is structurally and pharmacologically similar to the Schedule I substance MDMA. On April 12, 2013, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration scheduled methylone as a Schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I status is reserved for those substances with a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted use for treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.