Car dealer pleads to minor charge

A Lawrenceville used car dealer accused of helping convicted murderer Price Montgomery buy his Mount Washington house from ex-Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Deshea Townsend and also to buy a car pleaded guilty Friday to a minor charge related to the car purchase.

Korry Pitts, who owns 412 Motoring on Penn Avenue, pleaded to a misdemeanor count of failing to report receipt of $25,000 in cash to the IRS for the Audi Q5 that Montgomery drove.

Mr. Pitts had been indicted in 2018 on a count of money laundering for Price Montgomery, who is awaiting sentencing for the murder of federal witness Tina Crawford in 2014. Montgomery was convicted of gunning down Ms. Crawford, Montgomery’s drug courier, to keep her from talking to federal prosecutors about his New Jersey-supplied heroin ring.

Prosecutors said Mr. Pitts conspired with Montgomery and two other men, Charles Cook and Andre Avent, to launder Montgomery’s drug money.

Testimony at Montgomery’s trial revealed that Mr. Pitts, who had business ties to several Steelers, helped broker a lease-to-own deal for Mr. Townsend’s home on Mount Washington, where Montgomery lived, and a second home in Ross also owned by the football player.

Mr. Pitts was also accused of conspiring with Montgomery to arrange the Audi purchase. When Montgomery was arrested, he was driving that car.

Associates of Montgomery said he put his property in the names of other people to conceal his assets, all bought with drug money.

Mr. Avent testified that he put his own name on the agreement for the Mount

Washington home, saying Montgomery asked him to buy the house in 2012 through Mr. Pitts.

Mr. Pitts also transferred the Audi’s title to Mr. Cook, Montgomery’s brother-inlaw, according to testimony.

Prosecutors this month charged Mr. Pitts in a criminal “information” with failure to report the car payment, and that’s the charge to which he pleaded on Friday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaun Sweeney declined to comment on the case but indicated in court that his office was allowing Mr. Pitts to plead to a misdemeanor count rather than a felony and intends to file a motion to dismiss the 2018 money-laundering indictment.

Montgomery is awaiting sentencing, as is Glenn Thomas, who prosecutors have said was the second gunman who shot Ms. Crawford.