Homestead Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Machine Gun Charges

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The four-count Second Superseding Indictment named Erik Addison, 27, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on May 8, 2023, Addison possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. The Indictment further alleges that, on the same date, Addison possessed a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and that he possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, with a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Douglas C. Maloney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A second superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.