A Tonawanda man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that carried a potential decades-long prison sentence.
Edward Wilkie, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
Prosecutors said the charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5 million fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan said law enforcement received information in January 2025 that Wilkie and co-conspirator Daniel Eberle were storing and selling large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Wilkie’s Shelly Court residence and a stash house on Sheridan Parkside Drive.
Investigators said Wilkie used both locations to store drugs that he later distributed in Salamanca, New York, and Pennsylvania.
On March 25, 2025, authorities executed search warrants on Wilkie’s vehicle, his Shelly Court home, and the Sheridan Parkside Drive stash house. Officers recovered $42,330 in cash and approximately 384 grams of heroin from Wilkie’s vehicle, along with $4,000 in cash from his residence.
As officers entered the stash house, they encountered Eberle allegedly attempting to destroy narcotics by flushing them down a toilet. Law enforcement ultimately recovered approximately 66 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded shotgun.
Charges remain pending against Eberle.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. A sentencing date for Wilkie has not yet been scheduled.
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