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Stoughton Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking
A Stoughton man has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Angel Morales, 53, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Morales was on federal supervised release at the time that he committed the offenses, after being granted compassionate release in 2020. He pleaded guilty in April 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between September 2022 and November 2022, Morales was involved in a scheme involving a large-scale pill press operation that manufactured, sold and mailed counterfeit pills, including pills containing fentanyl, among other drugs. Morales’ role in the operation was to ship packages from post offices across Massachusetts.
On multiple occasions, Morales used various post offices and FedEx facilities in Boston, Randolph, Holbrook, Quincy, Mattapan, Braintree, Milton, and elsewhere to mail over 150 packages knowing that some of the packages contained controlled substances. On at least two occasions, FedEx employees opened packages pursuant to their internal procedures, and observed clear plastic sandwich bags filled with pills with markings consistent with prescription-only medication that later tested positive for fentanyl.
On multiple occasions in October and November 2022, Morales was observed leaving an apartment in Mattapan before traveling to multiple post offices and FedEx facilities. During a subsequent search of that apartment, over 20 kilograms of pills in various colors, a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl, over 20 kilograms of loose powder, a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl, numerous packages and mailing labels, electronic devices, cash, and three industrial grade pill presses were recovered. In addition, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine were also found at the apartment.
Morales is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in the case. His co-conspirators, Quenty Ogando, Erika Prado, and Rahelin Reynoso, were also sentenced in connection with the conspiracy. Ogando was sentenced to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release, Reynoso was sentenced to six years in prison and two years of supervised release, and Prado was sentenced to time served with one year of supervised release.
The case against Morales was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Jennifer Zacks of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit. The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which targets high-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States. The operation was led by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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