INDIANAPOLIS — A judge has sentenced a Greenwood man to serve 20 years in federal prison after the man pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
According to court documents, Eric Middlebrook, 31, of Greenwood, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine where children are present.
"Drug trafficking brings gun violence that Indianapolis and many other communities across the country are experiencing," Acting U.S. Attorney John Childress said. "We remain committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to do our part in reducing the violence, getting drugs and weapons off the streets, and delivering justice for the people we serve."
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Middlebrook has for several years been a suspect, victim, and witness in a number of violent crimes in the Indianapolis area. Prosecutors also said he has reportedly engaged in drug trafficking for several years in and around Indianapolis.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middlebrook used several individuals to transport methamphetamine and other controlled substances from California to Indiana, which he would then redistribute in the Indianapolis area. Middlebrook reportedly used different locations, including a rented storage unit, to store and distribute drugs and to store money and firearms.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives searched his home and the storage unit and located more than 3,700 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, several firearms and over $40,000. The U.S. Attorney's Office said there were three young children living in the house at the time of the search of Middlebrook's house.
"ATF's core mission is reducing violent gun crime in our community," Roland H. Herndon Jr., special agent in charge of the ATF's Columbus Field Division, said. "Middlebrook was using firearms and threats of violence to further his drug trafficking operation, and clearly endangering the community, including children living in the same home. We are committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to follow the gun and remove the most violent criminals from our streets."
