Eric Rivera, 39, of Niagara Falls, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced on Mar. 30.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address the distribution of dangerous drugs and illegal firearm possession by individuals with prior felony convictions.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine, police executed a search warrant at an Ontario Avenue residence on March 14, 2024. During the operation, an investigator observed a man throw a shopping bag over a fence before running into an abandoned garage next door. The man exited without the bag and attempted to hide while looking back toward law enforcement vehicles. Investigators quickly identified him as Rivera.
A narcotics detection dog alerted officers to drugs in the garage where investigators found the discarded bag. Inside were approximately 18 grams of cocaine and fentanyl, 642 grams of heroin and fentanyl, about eight grams of cocaine, and more than one kilogram (1,511 grams) of fentanyl along with drug paraphernalia, a firearm, magazines, and ammunition.
Rivera had previously been convicted in March 2007 for criminal possession of a controlled substance in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the Niagara Falls Police Department under Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari’s direction and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led by Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo.
