Convicted: Alfredo Valdez, 45, of Providence, R.I.
A Rhode Island man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking organization that distributed the deadly substance throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs handed down the sentence to Alfredo Valdez, 45, of Providence, R.I. on [Today’s Date]. Valdez pleaded guilty in February 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Valdez was one of 10 individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 in connection with the conspiracy.
According to investigators, the operation, led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, involved the distribution of multi-kilograms of fentanyl from a stash house in Fall River. In July 2022, a search of the stash house uncovered over 12 kilograms of fentanyl stored in various ceiling panels, blenders, a hydraulic press and baggies.
Valdez was found inside the apartment at the time of the search.
Valdez is the eighth defendant to plead guilty in the case. Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty in December 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2024.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today.
Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments.
Related Federal Cases
- Rhode Island Man Guilty of Fentanyl Trafficking in SE Mass · Massachusetts
- Rhode Island Man Gets 10-Year Sentence for Fentanyl Trafficking Role · Texas
- Rhode Island Man Faces 20 Years for Southeastern Mass Fentanyl Ring Ties · Massachusetts
- Rhode Island Trafficker Sentenced 30 Months for Fentanyl Ring · Massachusetts
- Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Decades in Fentanyl Trafficking Ring · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|
- Source: Official Source ↗
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