Convicted Felon on Supervised Release Charged with Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking

PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been charged in a superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for possession of a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking and other offenses, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The three-count Superseding Indictment named Erik Addison, age 27, as the sole defendant.

According to the Superseding Indictment, on May 8, 2023, Addison possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and heroin, possessed a machinegun in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and also possessed a Glock pistol equipped with a part commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch,” designed to convert a semiautomatic Glock-style handgun into a machinegun capable of fully automatic fire.

As to the most serious offense, possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment with a maximum possible sentence of life, as well as a maximum possible fine of $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, if any, of the defendant.

At the time of the new alleged offenses, Addison was serving a term of supervised release following his conviction for a prior federal firearm offense in 2021. As a result, he is now the subject of separate federal court proceedings to revoke his supervised release. According to court records in the supervised release matter, it is alleged that Addison was the subject of an attempted traffic stop on May 8, 2023. Rather than complying with law enforcement, Addison allegedly fled from the traffic stop—striking multiple law enforcement vehicles as he did so—and proceeded at a high rate of speed across the Homestead Grays Bridge from Pittsburgh to the Boroughs of Homestead and West Homestead. Addison’s vehicle was subsequently located, heavily damaged and abandoned. Multiple officers from various jurisdictions responded. One officer saw Addison fleeing on foot, and while that officer pursued him, multiple shots allegedly were fired. Addison was then apprehended and found to be in possession of the firearm that is the subject of the new federal charges contained in the Superseding Indictment.

In addition to the charges returned by the federal grand jury and the alleged supervised release violations, Addison is also facing charges in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, including aggravated assault and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer stemming from his alleged conduct on May 8, 2023.

“Glock switches turn handguns into machineguns,” said United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “Erik Addison allegedly possessed one such machinegun in furtherance of his fentanyl and heroin dealing—a lethal combination of staggering proportions. This office and our dedicated partners in law enforcement will continue our ceaseless pursuit of violent offenders in order to protect the community and ordinary citizens who just want to walk down the street without fear of deadly gunfire.”

“The conduct allegedly committed by the defendant was reprehensible, reckless and extremely dangerous to the community. Stopping individuals who utilize machineguns to facilitate the illegal drug trade is one of ATF’s highest priorities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree. “We want to thank our local partners for their diligence and courage in his apprehension, as well as the support of the United States Attorney’s Office as we continue to work to take illegal weapons off the streets.”

“This was a violent incident involving a dangerous, illegal weapon,” said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns. “This arrest is a perfect example of how our work with our local and federal partners allows us to target dangerous individuals and weapons to keep our communities safe.”

Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Brendan T. Conway 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 superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Violations of the conditions of supervised release must be proven by the government by a preponderance of the evidence.