PITTSBURGH, Pa - A New Castle man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to distributing crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.

Twenty-nine-year-old, Melvin Dorsey Pace admitted to distributing crack cocaine near St. Vitus Elementary School in New Castle on April 6, 2021.

During that time, Pace was on federal supervised release. In 2016, Pace was convicted for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. He was released to supervised release in 2020.

The law provides for a sentence of at least one year and up to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $4,000,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the sentence is to be based on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant's prior criminal history.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence and Mercer County Drug Task Forces and the New Castle, Sharon, Farrell and Hermitage Police Departments all led the investigation.

Pace is scheduled for sentencing on June 21, 2022 at 2:15 p.m.