Erik Addison, a 29-year-old man from Homestead, has been handed a 35-year federal prison sentence for his involvement in violent drug trafficking and gun-related crimes. Last week, U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence following Addison's guilty plea to charges including possession of a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. This sentence will run concurrently with a state-imposed range of 20 to 40 years for assaulting a law enforcement officer, the TribLive reported.
Addison's string of crimes includes a shootout in April 2023 at Edgewood Towne Center and a subsequent police chase in May, where he fired at Homestead police officers, nearly ran over a detective, and crashed his vehicle into police cars and a civilian vehicle. Described by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Maloney as posing a significant risk to the public at large, Addison continued his criminal activities soon after his release from an earlier federal prison term, per the statement detailed by the Post-Gazette.
During the incidents, Addison's vehicle contained 28 bricks of heroin and fentanyl, and a Glock pistol modified into a machine gun. According to court documents, the gun matched the one used in the shootout at Edgewood Towne Center. Addison was initially indicted on federal charges in June 2023, which led to his eventual guilty plea and the current 35-year federal sentence, in addition to the state sentence, as reported by TribLive.
His mother was imprisoned on drug charges, and his father, a known drug dealer, is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence. Addison himself faced his first juvenile adjudication at age 12 and has faced continuous struggles with the law ever since. The defense detailed his physical injuries sustained during his arrest, which have required multiple surgeries, resulting in a drop foot condition, as noted by the TribLive.
