A 64-year-old Manhattan man admitted to distributing a lethal batch of fentanyl in a New Jersey parking lot, sealing his fate with a guilty plea in federal court. Jose Migel Cleto walked into Newark federal court and confessed to dealing in one of the deadliest drugs plaguing America’s streets.
Cleto admitted to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The transaction went down in April 2022, when he handed off the drugs to an undercover informant in a commercial parking lot in Fort Lee, New Jersey—a cold, calculated move in broad daylight.
He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, accepting full responsibility for one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute. No excuses. No denials. Just the stark admission of moving a mountain of synthetic opioids across state lines.
The stakes are high: Cleto now faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2023, when the judge will decide whether this is a case of supply feeding demand—or cold-blooded profiteering from addiction.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. Federal agents tracked the movement, set the sting, and closed the net. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger made the announcement, underscoring the federal crackdown on cross-state drug networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano is prosecuting the case. With fentanyl deaths soaring across New Jersey, this conviction is one small win in a brutal, unrelenting war.
Related Federal Cases
- Jose Migel Cleto Admits Fentanyl Distribution · New Jersey
- Fentanyl Kingpin Cleto Gets 25 Months for 400g Fentanyl Deal · New Jersey
- Edwin Alamo Jr. Admits to 22kg Heroin Haul in NJ · New Jersey
- Thomas Seymore Admits Role in Ethylone Drug Conspiracy · New Jersey
- Hasan J. Johnson, Jose D. Martinez Held in 2KG Cocaine Bust · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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