The son of a former Pittsburgh Steelers star has been sentenced to up to 16 years in prison for attempting to sell raw fentanyl to undercover detectives in Ligonier.
Cortez Marcell Haselrig, 27, of Johnstown, pleaded guilty to four felony drug counts in what court documents described as a four-month, multi-county investigation into drug trafficking claims.
Police said they received information that Haselrig was planning to enter the Ligonier area in June 2022 with enough raw fentanyl for 2,500 single doses of the drug, worth approximately $90,000 on the street, and scheduled a meeting with a confidential informant in the parking lot of a Giant Eagle store in Ligonier Borough.
Authorities apprehended Haselrig as he attempted to flee and found him with 50 grams of the drug and more than $1,600 in cash.
Investigators identified Haselrig as an upper-level narcotics dealer who was a key fentanyl supplier in Westmoreland County, according to court records.
Haselrig appeared in Westmoreland County Court on Monday for what was supposed to be a hearing to finalize trial plans. Instead, he entered a guilty plea to four counts, resulting in the dismissal of six other accusations.
Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio imposed the plea deal terms, which called for Haselrig to serve between eight and sixteen years in jail. Haselrig has been in jail since June 29, 2022.
The judge ordered that his sentence run concurrently with the previous jail sentences that Haselrig is presently serving. According to court records, Haselrig has a criminal record dating back to 2016, including convictions for illegal weapons possession, drug charges, and drunk driving.
Haselrig is the son of Carlton Haselrig, a Pro Bowl offensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1989 and 1993. He was a college wrestling champion at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown before moving on to football.
Carlton Haselrig passed away in 2020.
