SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Raheem Pierce, age 38, of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, to 151 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley for distribution of fentanyl and possession of a stolen firearm.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, during the course of several controlled drug purchases, Pierce distributed approximately 35 grams of fentanyl before attempting to discard 25 bricks of heroin and another 23 grams of fentanyl on the date of his arrest. During a prior interaction with law enforcement, Pierce was found to be in possession of a stolen firearm.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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