Brockton Fentanyl Dealer Gets 106 Months

BOSTON – Luis DaCosta, 23, of Brockton, is facing a lengthy stay behind bars after being sentenced yesterday in federal court for trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm. The sentence sends a clear message: move poison in Massachusetts, and we will come for you.

DaCosta, also known as “Jesse” and “Slu,” a Legal Permanent Resident, received 106 months in prison and five years of supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young. The terms of his release explicitly prohibit association with co-conspirators and known members of Brockton gangs. He’ll also be facing immigration proceedings, meaning deportation will likely follow his sentence. DaCosta initially pleaded guilty in January 2017 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

The bust originated in April 2016 with DaCosta’s arrest and subsequent indictment alongside six others in May 2016. Investigators uncovered a pattern of fentanyl sales throughout the Brockton area between December 2015 and March 2016. The operation culminated on April 5, 2016, when law enforcement raided a hotel room shared by DaCosta and co-defendant Seidica Monteiro. Inside, they found a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun and over 30 grams of fentanyl – enough to kill countless users.

But the fentanyl wasn’t the whole story. Court documents reveal a pattern of violence and gang affiliation. DaCosta was out on bail from Rhode Island state court, accused of shooting someone on March 19, 2016, when he resumed dealing. Even more damning, in February 2016, DaCosta sold fentanyl to an individual who subsequently overdosed – thankfully, they survived. This isn’t just about drug dealing; it’s about a reckless disregard for human life. Monteiro pleaded guilty in January 2017 and is scheduled for sentencing July 10, 2017.

This case is part of a larger federal effort to combat the opioid epidemic ravaging Massachusetts. Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, is fueling the overdose crisis. In 2016, a staggering 75 percent of unintentional overdose deaths in the state involved fentanyl, a nearly 25 percent jump from the previous year. The numbers speak for themselves: this drug is a killer, and those who peddle it are complicit in the carnage.

The investigation was a collaborative effort led by Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb, and involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts State Police, Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Southeastern Massachusetts Gang Task Force, and Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn A. MacKinlay and Timothy Moran of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case. They’re the ones putting these predators away, one dealer at a time.