The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania disclosed that two Monroe County men have been charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Eli Valentine Calero, 43, from East Stroudsburg, and John Charles Ehrhard, Jr., 56, from Stroudsburg, were indicted on April 8, 2025, by a federal grand jury.
As stated by Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment accuses Calero and Ehrhard, Jr. of conspiring from May 2024 to March 2025 to distribute and possess over 500 grams of methamphetamine in Monroe County. During this period, Ehrhard, Jr. is charged with multiple instances of methamphetamine distribution and possessing a firearm and ammunition related to his drug trafficking activities, despite being prohibited from gun possession due to a previous felony. On March 12, 2025, Calero is alleged to have possessed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine for distribution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police have undertaken the investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is leading the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative aims to use all Department of Justice resources to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and shield communities from violent crime. It collaborates with the resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Under federal law, the maximum penalty for these charges is lifetime imprisonment, along with a term of supervised release and a fine. Sentences are determined by a judge considering federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines following any guilty verdict.
It is important to note that indictments are merely accusations. All defendants are considered innocent unless proven guilty in court.