(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Niagara Falls man previously convicted of a felony has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm-related offenses, federal prosecutors announced.
Eric Rivera, 39, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the charges stem from a March 14, 2024, investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department. Officers were executing a search warrant at a residence on Ontario Avenue when an investigator observed a man later identified as Rivera throw a shopping bag over a fence before fleeing on foot.
Authorities said Rivera jumped the fence, entered an abandoned garage with the bag, and exited without it. Investigators quickly located Rivera nearby as he attempted to conceal himself.
A narcotics detection K-9 was deployed and alerted to the presence of drugs inside the garage. Investigators recovered the discarded bag, which contained a large quantity of narcotics and related items.
Seized evidence included approximately 1,511 grams of fentanyl, 642 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and smaller quantities of cocaine. Law enforcement also recovered drug paraphernalia, a firearm, magazines, and ammunition.
Officials noted that Rivera had a prior felony conviction in Erie County Court in March 2007 for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, making it illegal for him to possess ammunition or a firearm.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine and is the result of a joint investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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