Fentanyl, illegal firearm seizures part of Sunday’s first year as state attorney general
Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said it would difficult to determine the impact of a Trump administration executive order striking state-level AI regulations during a Dec. 15, 2025 press conference.
One year into his first term as Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Dave Sunday touted a list of accomplishments, including illegal firearm recoveries, fentanyl seizures and combating scammers.
“This first year as your attorney general was full of unique challenges and achievements, including progress in defending Pennsylvanians from modern-day threats, such as artificial intelligence and online environments that expose our children and older residents to physical, mental, and financial harm,” Sunday said in a release. “Technology and criminal methods are advancing quickly, but our great team embraces the hard work that comes with protecting people, families, and their assets.”
An eight-minute video posted to his YouTube channel included portions of Sunday’s inaugural speech as the state’s top law enforcement officer and clips from various press conferences. A top focus was the seizure of more than 56 million fentanyl doses and 100,000 fentanyl pills, with an estimated street cost of $58 million.
Much of that dangerous drug came from Philadelphia and its collar counties, as detailed at a press conference in October, but the issue impacts thousands of Pennsylvanians. In 2023, 4,719 Pennsylvanians died from an overdose and there were 37,371 nonfatal suspected overdoses, according to the state Department of Health.
“But enforcement alone isn’t enough. We cannot just arrest our way out of this crisis,” Sunday said in the video, pivoting to highlight the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative.
The program offers an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders and is available in 33 counties. Initially tailored for those with substance use disorder, some counties chose to expand its reach to include mental health resources.
Additionally, 539 illegal firearms were recovered by task forces led by the Attorney General’s Office, including guns that were illegally trafficked, had no serial numbers or were possessed by individuals prohibited from buying firearms — either due to a prior felony conviction or for another reason.
Other accountings included in the release:
— 120 defendants charged with fraud, abuse or criminal waste related to the Medicaid system, leveraging more than $40 million in restitution. Another 550 cases and investigations are active.
— 100 new investigations into large-scale theft and fraud under the Organized Crime Retail Unit.
— More than 4,000 scam-related complaints, totalling $76 million in losses.
The last bullet point, part of the increasing number of scams targeting vulnerable Pennsylvanians, falls under the newly created Elder Exploitation Section of the office. The Office of Public Engagement conducts presentations on protecting oneself, and others, from scams.
——
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and Twitter.



