BOSTON — In a stunning case of prison corruption, a former Corrections Officer has been sentenced to five years probation for attempting to smuggle narcotics into the Middleton House of Correction.
Gregorit Sanchez, 29, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was caught red-handed on November 11, 2021, as he attempted to bring a package containing fentanyl, cocaine, and other contraband into the jail. The 33-year-old Corrections Officer was working with co-defendant Elvis DeJesus, who was being held in the Middleton House of Correction on state firearms charges.
The package, which also included Suboxone sublingual films, cigarettes, and a SIM card for a contraband cellphone, was seized by authorities. Inside, they found 33 grams of fentanyl pills, 1 gram of crack cocaine, and 14 grams of powder cocaine.
Sanchez pleaded guilty in March 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances, as well as possession with intent to distribute the same. He faced a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and at least three years to a lifetime of supervised release.
However, U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley went easy on Sanchez, sentencing him to five years of probation, with the first year to be served on home detention. The court determined that Sanchez’s Guidelines Sentencing Range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines was 30-37 months in prison.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which aims to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers and gangs. Sanchez’s sentencing is a major blow to the operation, which was led by acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Homeland Security Investigations in New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, and Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau.
The Lawrence Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Massachusetts State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Essex County Sheriff’s Office all provided special assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson is prosecuting the case.
DeJesus, who pleaded guilty in June 2024, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2024. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute the same provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and at least three years to a lifetime of supervised release.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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