David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Eric Herman, 32, from Bridgeport, has been sentenced to 96 months in prison. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven and includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
Court documents and statements reveal that after two fatal fentanyl overdoses in 2021 linked to Herman, an investigation was launched by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Stratford Police Department into Herman's drug trafficking activities. In May and June 2022, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.
Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022. At his arrest, he had a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm "ghost gun" with a laser sight attached, and additional ammunition rounds.
Herman's criminal record includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Since his arrest, Herman has been detained. On March 24, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base ("crack"), fentanyl, and heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
In state court, Herman also pleaded guilty to narcotics and manslaughter charges related to an overdose death investigation. He received a sentence of 20 years imprisonment suspended after eight years with five years probation. Judge Bolden ordered that Herman's federal sentence run concurrently with his state sentence.
The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force comprises personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office along with police departments from Connecticut State Police as well as Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck prosecuted this case.
