Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which are believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities.  In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.

Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.

Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Herman has been detained since his arrest.  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.

Herman pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, suspended after eight years, and five years of probation.  Judge Bolden ordered Herman’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.