LONDON, KY - The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Kentucky reported on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 that a Hazard, KY man, Eric Edward Shuffler, 40, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, after pleading guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Shuffler’s plea agreement, on August 4, 2020, law enforcement stopped Shuffler and he was found to have a loaded 9mm handgun in the backseat of his car, along with a black bag that contained ammunition, 210 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and $3,051 in cash. Shuffler admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and he carried the firearm for his protection in his drug trafficking activities.
Shuffler pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2021.
Under federal law, Shuffler must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rabold.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprhensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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