The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced the sentencing of Eric Francis Butler, a 49-year-old resident of Nassau County, New York. Butler received a 20-year prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl, which resulted in death and serious bodily injury.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus reported that Butler established a drug distribution hub in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, in 2019. During a two-week period from July to August 2019, his fentanyl sales led to the deaths of two individuals and nearly claimed another life, which was saved by Narcan administration. Butler was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton on January 11, 2022, and later arrested in Nassau County by federal law enforcement officers. He appeared in federal court in Scranton on November 7, 2023, where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and distribution resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
The charges were the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Scranton and the Pocono Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of a district-wide initiative addressing the nationwide epidemic involving heroin and fentanyl use and distribution. The Heroin Initiative is led by the United States Attorney’s Office targeting traffickers operating within the Middle District of Pennsylvania. It is part of an effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved in heroin-related offenses.
Additionally, this case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which unites various levels of law enforcement with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy aimed at reducing violent crime through PSN based on principles such as fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
