BOSTON – A large-scale drug trafficking ring that brought dozens of kilos of heroin and fentanyl into Springfield was dealt a significant blow yesterday when a key player pleaded guilty in federal court.
Marvin Ortega, 35, a Bronx, N.Y., man, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2019.
According to court documents, Ortega transported heroin to Springfield for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Springfield, which was allegedly run by Alberto Marte. Marte had direct contact with heroin suppliers in the Dominican Republic, and on a monthly basis, members of his DTO transported between eight and 20 kilograms of heroin, with a street value of approximately $1.6 million and $4 million, respectively, to the Springfield area.
The DTO’s activities were uncovered in September 2016, when law enforcement authorities executed federal search warrants and recovered approximately $140,000 in cash and over six kilograms of heroin.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Massachusetts State Police, the Springfield Police Department, the Chicopee Police Department, the Holyoke Police Department, and the West Springfield Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Desroches of U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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