A man from New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court for his involvement in an interstate drug trafficking operation. Edward Dietrich, 60, received a sentence of time served—six days in prison—followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence after learning that Dietrich's role in the conspiracy included allowing large quantities of controlled substances to be stored and distributed from his residence between August 2023 and August 2024. Dietrich was compensated with drugs for permitting the use of his home for these activities. The court also considered that Dietrich suffers from multiple serious medical and physical conditions.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted the case. First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti acknowledged the collaborative efforts of several law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office.
"This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion," said Rivetti. "The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States."
