BOSTON, Massachusetts – In a major blow to the opioid epidemic, a Southbridge man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation in Central Massachusetts.
Ismael Maysonet, 44, of Southbridge, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release on February 27, 2025, after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Maysonet’s crimes date back to August 2021 through August 2022, when he served as the chief lieutenant of a Southbridge-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl to retail customers and other drug dealers at the request of the leaders of the DTO, Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez and Isaac Gonzalez.
The DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities, obtaining large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailing packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. As chief lieutenant, Maysonet was involved in every aspect of the organization’s fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operations, including coordinating the receipt of packages of narcotics from Puerto Rico, negotiating with suppliers, transporting fentanyl and drug proceeds to and from customers and suppliers, and packaging fentanyl for shipment to Isaac Gonzalez’s residence in Florida for distribution.
Maysonet’s crimes were uncovered through a joint investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and local law enforcement agencies, which resulted in the seizure of approximately nine kilograms of cocaine from packages sent through the mail and 800 grams of fentanyl. Maysonet is responsible for distributing over 700 grams of fentanyl and three kilograms of cocaine.
Both Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez and Isaac Gonzalez pleaded guilty in January 2025 and were sentenced to 10 years in prison and 15 years in prison, respectively. Maysonet’s sentencing marks a significant milestone in the investigation and a major victory in the fight against opioid trafficking in Central Massachusetts.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case, which 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related Federal Cases
- Chaasad Cyprien, Cocaine Trafficking, Massachusetts 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Efrain Colon-Garcia, Cocaine Trafficking, Rhode Island 2020 · Puerto Rico
- Raymond Acevedo, Cocaine Possession, Massachusetts 2021 · Puerto Rico
- Igor Polshyn, Cocaine Smuggling, FL 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Ismael Maysonet, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Fentanyl, Massachusetts 2022 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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