United States of America v. Eric Francis Butler

Scranton, Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Distribution Of Fentanyl Resulting In Death And Serious Bodily Injury

New York Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Distribution Of Fentanyl Resulting In Death And Serious Bodily Injury

Eric Francis Butler, age 49, of Nassau County, New York, indicted for distributing fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury.



Butler set up a hub for drug distribution in 2019 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. During a two-week period of time in July into August 2019, Butler's sale of fentanyl resulted in the death of two individuals in Monroe County, and the near death of another who survived only with the administration of Narcan. Butler was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton on January 11, 2022, and subsequently arrested in Nassau County, New York by federal law enforcement officers. Butler appeared in federal court in Scranton on November 7, 2023, and plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury.



The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Scranton, and the Pocono Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.



This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. 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.



This case is also 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.