PROVIDENCE – A Johnston man has pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl and heroin, according to a federal court in Providence. Michael Persaud, 30, admitted to arranging for the sale and delivery of nearly 22 grams of fentanyl and 2 grams of heroin to an undercover police officer.
Persaud pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of distribution of heroin, and is currently being held in federal custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2018.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; East Providence Police Chief Christopher Parella; and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division.
According to information presented to the Court, Persaud arranged for the purchase of what turned out to be 1.86 grams of heroin from an undercover East Providence police officer on October 27, 2016. Between January 11 and March 13, 2017, the undercover officer arranged for five purchases of between 6.9 grams and 2.82 grams of fentanyl from Persaud.
In several instances, Persaud used other individuals to assist in the delivery of the drugs. In at least two such instances, Persaud was driven by his girlfriend and mother of three of his children to a designated meeting location to deliver fentanyl to the undercover officer.
On March 30, 2017, members of the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the RI DEA Drug Task Force, executed a court-authorized search of the Providence residence of the mother of one of Michael Persaud’s children, where they seized 44 grams of fentanyl that Persaud had stashed at the residence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin. The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, which investigated this matter, is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA and Providence, East Providence, Central Falls, Woonsocket, West Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, Newport, South Kingstown, and Warwick Police Departments, and the Rhode Island State Police.
Defendant: Michael Persaud
Criminal Charges: Five counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
City and State: Johnston, Rhode Island
Exact Date: January 9, 2018 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2018
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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