A Boston man has pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking and cocaine conspiracy charges. Jovani Santiago, 29, was found guilty of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The crime took place in a Roxbury apartment on August 12, 2020, where Santiago sold approximately 500 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness. Additionally, it is alleged that Santiago conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Massachusetts and New York.
Santiago was charged by complaint and arrested on August 27, 2020. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
The case is scheduled for sentencing on May 31, 2021, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Related Federal Cases
- Shanese DeJesus, Fentanyl Trafficking, Massachusetts 2021 · New York
- Brandon Jones, Oxycodone Trafficking, Massachusetts 2024 · Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Decades in Fentanyl Trafficking Ring · New York
- Erik Ventura, Fentanyl Trafficking, Rhode Island 2024 · New York
- John Doe, Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking, New York 2024 · New Hampshire
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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