BOSTON – Maria Elena Ocasio, 57, a Dominican national living in Providence, R.I., was today handed a 30-month prison sentence by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. for her involvement in a notorious heroin and fentanyl trafficking ring that operated across southeastern Massachusetts.
Ocasio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute the deadly substances in March 2017, according to court documents. She is now facing deportation following her sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release.
The scheme was orchestrated by Ocasio’s brother, Dedwin Cruz-Rivera, who led a drug organization that procured large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from local suppliers. The drugs were then distributed in areas such as Fall River, Mass., and Providence, R.I. Ocasio’s apartment served as a key hub for receiving and distributing the illegal substances.
Law enforcement’s investigation, which involved extensive wiretaps and physical surveillance, led to the arrests of Ocasio and 24 others connected to Cruz-Rivera’s operation. The total number of defendants charged in the case stood at 26 after an April 2016 superseding indictment.
Over half of those charged have already pleaded guilty, with eight having been sentenced. Cruz-Rivera, however, has entered a not guilty plea and is currently awaiting trial for his role in the ring.
The prosecution of these cases has been led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson, Thomas E. Kanwit, Karen Beausey, and Ann Taylor from the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit of Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb’s office. Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division, also played a crucial role in the investigation.
Related Federal Cases
- Massachusetts Heroin Trafficking Ring Dismantled · Massachusetts
- Methuen Man Pena Admits Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking & Gun Charge · Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Narcotics Ring: Ten Busted in Oxycodone and Heroin Plot · Massachusetts
- Worcester Three Guilty in Crack Cocaine Ring · Massachusetts
- Cromwell in the Dock for Major Drug Ring · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News