HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that an Armstrong County man has been convicted of third-degree murder, drug delivery resulting in death, and related charges for providing a dose of fentanyl-cocaine that killed another man in 2020. Nathan R. Wolfe, 41, of Kittanning, was also convicted Thursday afternoon of aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, delivery of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to deliver, and criminal use of a communication facility. He will be sentenced on September 20 by Judge Chase G. McClister.
An Armstrong County jury listened to testimony for three days about the Feb. 5, 2020 overdose that caused 43-year-old Eric McMillen’s death.
“Fentanyl continues to cause devastation and heartbreak across the Commonwealth and country, and my office will continue to take an aggressive approach to traffickers who know they are profiting from poison,” Attorney General Henry said. “I commend the jurors for their time and attention, as well as the investigators and prosecutors who ensured justice was served and the defendant was held accountable.”
The case was investigated and charged by Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office Detective Brian Wolfe. Several local police departments and the Pennsylvania State Police also assisted with the investigation.
“I commend Armstrong County Detective Brian Wolfe for a thorough investigation and his efforts in filing these charges. This was a collaborative effort between several Armstrong County law enforcement agencies, including the Armstrong County Detectives, the Pennsylvania State Police and Kittanning Borough police,” Armstrong County District Attorney Katie Charlton said. “I want to thank the Attorney General’s office for their prosecution of the case and securing a conviction. This case truly sends a message to those dealing drugs in Armstrong County that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
The Office of Attorney General presented testimony this week of how Wolfe provided the crack cocaine (laced with fentanyl) to McMillen and McMillen’s girlfriend in exchange for Wolfe’s use of McMillen’s vehicle. The transaction happened in a Shop N’ Save parking lot in Armstrong County.
A witness who was with Wolfe offered testimony that Wolfe knew the cocaine was laced with fentanyl. According to this and other testimony, Wolfe continued to distribute the deadly batch of drugs, which resulted in two additional non-fatal overdoses.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry and Deputy Attorney General Daniel Gleixner.