St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Firearm Possession

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on January 21, 2022, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department arrested Eric Leon Wilbert, 43, and conducted a subsequent search of his vehicle. As a result of the search, officers recovered a Ruger 57 5.7 x 28 caliber semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat and, in the center console, officers found approximately 65 grams of fentanyl. Wilbert also had more than $1,000 in cash and approximately 20 grams of fentanyl in his jacket.

Wilbert pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Kate M. Menendez to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Teirab is prosecuting the case.