Massachusetts Trafficker Sentenced 87 Months for Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Firearms

A ruthless Massachusetts trafficker has been sent to the slammer for 87 months after being caught with a stash of deadly fentanyl, cocaine, and firearms in Vermont.

Judge Geoffrey Crawford handed down the sentence to Jose Luis Maldonado Jr., 33, of Springfield, Massachusetts, who pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base.

Maldonado was arrested on October 12, 2022, during a traffic stop in Rutland, Vermont, after law enforcement surveillance observed him and his codefendant, Edgar Correa, placing a shotgun and several bags into the trunk of their vehicle. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded pistol, a pistol tucked between the passenger seat and center console, a pistol under the passenger seat, and a shotgun in the trunk.

Inside the trunk, cops found approximately 24 grams of crack cocaine, 7 grams of powder cocaine, and 560 bags of fentanyl. Maldonado admitted to selling drugs in Vermont for almost a year, carrying firearms during drug transactions, and trading drugs for a firearm in a post-arrest Mirandized statement.

But Maldonado’s crimes didn’t stop there. Witnesses reported that he and his associates engaged in violence while distributing drugs, including pointing a firearm at a woman’s head while demanding payment of a drug debt, and pistol-whipping a man over missing cash. They also used drugs and drug debts to coerce women to perform sexual acts and bestiality.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest called Maldonado’s actions “pernicious” and vowed that his office and law enforcement partners would not rest in their efforts to disrupt and prosecute those who sell illegal drugs, use firearms to conduct their business, and exploit the addictions of others.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Owyang and Jonathan Ophardt. Maldonado was represented by Michael Straub, Esq. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across the country. “