Edwin Collazo, Fentanyl Conspiracy, Massachusetts 2023

A New Bedford man has pleaded guilty to his role in a fentanyl trafficking operation in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Edwin Collazo, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl; and to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to federal court records.

The charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

Collazo was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs.

According to court documents, between approximately March 2022 and June 2022, Collazo purchased fentanyl from a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that he then redistributed to others.

Intercepted communications revealed Collazo discussing purchasing fentanyl from the DTO and surveillance footage showed other members of the DTO visiting Collazo’s residence for brief periods of time, which is consistent with illegal drug trafficking.

Fentanyl was also seized during a search of Collazo’s residence in July 2022.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, and involved the New Bedford Police Department, Fairhaven Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and several other local and state agencies.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/new-bedford-man-pleads-guilty-fentanyl-conspiracy-0