UPPER DUBLIN, PA – A 41-year-old Pennsylvania man has been arrested and charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme targeting his former girlfriend and two men she dated after their relationship ended, Montgomery County authorities announced Thursday.
Eric Berkowitz was taken into custody after allegedly offering Steven Luker, an Upper Dublin resident, $5,000 to kill three people in New York. According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Berkowitz provided names, addresses, a firearm, and a burner phone as part of the alleged plot.
The scheme unraveled when Luker contacted police and reported Berkowitz’s solicitation. Upper Dublin Police and Montgomery County detectives worked with Luker to conduct a recorded conversation with Berkowitz, during which the suspect allegedly confirmed the murder plan.
Investigators say the plot involved the two men driving to New York on February 11, 2026, to meet outside the home of one of the intended victims. The targets were identified as Berkowitz’s former girlfriend and two men she had relationships with following the end of her seven-year relationship with Berkowitz.
During the recorded conversation, Berkowitz allegedly stated he would “take care of the girl himself,” according to authorities. Police arrested Berkowitz as he exited his residence, where they say he was carrying a duffel bag containing a gun, ammunition, cocaine, and a large sum of cash.
Berkowitz faces multiple serious charges including three counts of criminal solicitation for murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of recklessly endangering another person, and illegal firearm possession. A judge denied bail, and Berkowitz remains in custody.
The case highlights the collaborative investigative work between local and county law enforcement agencies in preventing what authorities describe as a potentially deadly plot. District Attorney Steele’s office is prosecuting the case.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on February 20, 2026, where prosecutors will present evidence supporting the charges against Berkowitz.
