Duluth Police arrest ‘prolific’ drug dealer

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - Duluth Police have arrested a “prolific drug dealer” during an execution of a search warrant Thursday.

According to a city press release, 34-year-old Matthew Erickson was arrested while in the process of selling fentanyl in the 1400 block of E. Superior Street.

Investigators from the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Duluth Police Patrol Officers, and a St. Louis County K9 Officer made the arrest around noon Thursday, April 13.

Police said Erickson has a history of targeting and selling drugs to Native American women. He was in possession of more than 300 grams of fentanyl, 14 grams of heroin, and synthetic fentanyl pills at the time of the arrest.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, just 1 gram of fentanyl can cause an overdose of 500 people. Erickson had enough to result in the overdoses and potential deaths of 150,000 people.

Erickson is now in the St. Louis County Jail facing charges of 1st Degree Sale of Fentanyl and 1st Degree Sale of Heroin.

Erickson has previously been sentenced to more than five years on charges of 1st Degree Sale of Heroin.

He was released after two years and placed on supervised probation which was set to end in August 2024.

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