Morning Roundup: Homestead man pleads guilty to gun, drug charges

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Feb. 11:

Homestead man pleads guilty to gun, drug charges

A Homestead man pleaded guilty in federal court to gun and drug charges and agreed to a 35-year prison term, Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced Monday.

Erik Addison, 28, pleaded guilty to four counts, including possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, before U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

Law enforcement in Pittsburgh attempted to stop a vehicle Addison was driving on May 8, 2023. Officials said he fled police, abandoned the vehicle and ran.

He was pursued and arrested. A police camera recorded Addison in possession of a Glock 19 9mm pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion — known as a Glock switch — that turned the weapon into a fully automatic machine gun, according to a news release from Rivetti’s office.

Investigators also found two phones, more than $3,200 cash and car keys on Addison.

When they searched a vehicle registered to Addison, investigators said they found a black bag with 28 bricks of fentanyl, a 31-round 9mm Glock magazine and Addison’s ID. Officials said lab testing showed the suspected drug consisted of fentanyl and heroin, and Addison’s phone showed evidence of drug trafficking and Glock switches.

He was charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, fleeing from police and numerous other charges after officials said he exchanged gunfire with an officer in Homestead. He suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was struck by a responding police vehicle, according to Allegheny County Police.

Addison is scheduled for trial Feb. 20 in the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on those charges.

At the time of the incident, Addison was serving a term of supervised release after a conviction for a separate federal firearms offense in 2021.

Addison also faces charges in Common Pleas Court after he was found to be in possession of ABD-Butanica, a synthetic cannabinoid while in the Allegheny County Jail.

“Erik Addison’s blatant disregard for the law by possessing a dangerous firearm in connection with illegal fentanyl trafficking while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction and then, possessing another another controlled substance while incarcerated on those charges, demonstrates the need to have dangerous criminals like him off of our streets,” Rivetti said in a statement.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 29.

Woman injured in Squirrel Hill crash

A woman was injured in a crash Monday in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

Responders were dispatched to a single-vehicle wreck along the 6300 block of Beacon Street just before 3:30 p.m.

TribLive news partner WTAE reported the vehicle was on its roof up against a garage.

Only one woman — who officials have not identified — was in the vehicle, according to Pittsburgh public safety officials She was in critical but stable condition. Pittsburgh EMS administered blood in the field before taking her to the hospital.

The city’s Collision Investigation Unit is is investigating.

Officials did not immediately provide any information about what may have caused the crash.

No injuries reported in East Allegheny fire

A fire broke out early Tuesday morning in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood.

The house fire was reported just before 2 a.m. along James Street, TribLive news partner WTAE reported.

There were no injuries reported.

Officials did not immediately provide information on how the fire started.