Cintia Franco, Fentanyl Trafficking, Massachusetts 2022

Two Worcester Residents Plead Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

BOSTON, MA - Two Worcester residents have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin.

Cintia Franco, 34, and Amauris Antonio Rosario Garcia, a/k/a “Animal,” 39, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin; and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

Garcia also pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2022.

The defendants were charged in October 2019 along with co-conspirators John Robles and Jector Torres. The investigation revealed that Garcia and Franco were distributing heroin, fentanyl pills, and powdered fentanyl directly to users in Worcester.

“The defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute deadly drugs, many of which disguised as pharmaceutical-grade prescription pills, into the Worcester community and profit off of people’s pain and suffering,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

The opioid epidemic is still raging, and every day, fentanyl takes countless lives and causes irreversible destruction and harm in our communities across the Commonwealth and the country. Drug traffickers will be prosecuted and removed from our communities. This is a priority in my administration.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. All other charges each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

Robles and Torres previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27, 2022, and Oct. 17, 2022, respectively.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/two-plead-guilty-heroin-and-fentanyl-trafficking-conspiracy