Attorney accused of smuggling synthetic marijuana into Pittsburgh’s Allegheny County Jail

PITTSBURGH — A well-known Pittsburgh attorney has been arrested and charged with smuggling synthetic marijuana, or K2, into the Allegheny County Jail, police said.

Paul Gettleman was released Friday on bond.

Court documents said investigators started taking notice of Gettleman after he carried a green folder through the wrong entrance and left after less than two minutes with a client. Investigators said he charged up to $1,000 to deliver the drugs to clients.

WPXI legal analyst and defense attorney Phil DiLucente said charges like those Gettleman faces are “an uphill battle."

“It could be devastating to not only a legal career, but also your liberty," he said. "This is a very, very serious set of allegations brought by a grand jury that involved numerous amounts of manpower and victims that were involved."

Gettleman is expected to appear in court later this month for a preliminary hearing.