New Castle Man Sentenced for Role in Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Edward Dietrich, 60, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to time served of six days in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

Prior to sentencing, Judge Colville was informed that the conspiracy in which Dietrich participated was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of controlled substances in New Castle as well as in Detroit, Michigan, and that Dietrich suffers from multiple serious medical and physical conditions. According to information presented to the Court, Dietrich primarily participated in the conspiracy by allowing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to be stored inside and distributed from his New Castle residence for months between August 2023 and August 2024, with the defendant having received controlled substances as compensation for the use of his residence for that purpose.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended 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 for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dietrich.

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. 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.