Felipe Antonio Reyes Eduardo Gets 2 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking

CONCORD, N.H. — A 20-year-old Massachusetts man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring that funneled lethal doses of the synthetic opioid across state lines into New Hampshire. Felipe Antonio Reyes Eduardo, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

Court records reveal Reyes acted as a street-level runner in a series of drug transactions with an undercover law enforcement officer between December 2015 and February 2016. Operating in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Reyes helped move fentanyl — a drug up to 100 times more potent than heroin — directly into communities already reeling from the opioid crisis.

The quantity of fentanyl tied to Reyes’ actions could have been processed into hundreds of individual street doses, each one potentially fatal. In 2016, the State of New Hampshire reported that the overwhelming majority of drug overdose deaths were fentanyl-related, underscoring the deadly impact of even small-scale trafficking.

“Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson of the DEA. “DEA and its partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”

U.S. Attorney Rice emphasized a dual approach: aggressive prosecution of dealers and expanded access to treatment. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the individuals who are putting fentanyl and other deadly drugs on the streets,” she said. “By enforcing the law and educating the public, we’re fighting this epidemic every day.”

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse prosecuted the case. Reyes will serve his two-year sentence in federal custody, followed by supervised release.