Hollidaysburg Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania announced that Olubayo Mudada Mensah Ranger, 45, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 20, 2026, to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the plea. Ranger pleaded guilty to eight counts before U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, from in and around June 2024 to on or about June 17, 2026, Ranger conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. On four dates between September 2024 and early October 2025, Ranger committed money laundering by making cash deposits into bank accounts and issuing auto loan payments from those accounts using proceeds from the drug conspiracy. On December 29, 2025, he also knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a monetary transaction greater than $10,000 through a financial institution using proceeds of the unlawful activity.
Beginning in October 2025, agents and local police officers regularly surveilled Ranger and observed him conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions in the Altoona area. On June 17, 2026, acting on information developed during the months-long investigation, officers executed a search warrant on Ranger's vehicle and seized five kilograms of cocaine.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for February 25, 2027. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both; under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence will be based on the seriousness of the offenses and Ranger's prior criminal history, if any. Ranger has been ordered detained pending sentencing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Altoona Police Department, and the Logan Township Police Department.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Pittsburgh 的 William S. Moorhead 联邦大楼资料图，本案由美国宾夕法尼亚西区联邦法院审理。Cbaile19 摄，CC0，经维基共享资源。Photo: The William S. Moorhead Federal Building in Pittsburgh. The case was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Cbaile19, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
