A Dominican national, Santiago Pena, 49, residing in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged today in federal court in Boston with crimes relating to his role in a wide-ranging narcotics trafficking operation.
Pena was charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, stemming from his participation in a large-scale fentanyl and heroin trafficking ring that was dismantled in August 2017.
According to court documents, a lengthy wiretap investigation revealed that James Ramirez supplied large-quantities of fentanyl and heroin to Kevin and Alex Fraga, drug dealers on Cape Cod. Ramirez also sold fentanyl pills designed to look like legitimate prescription oxycodone pills.
Pena brokered fentanyl pill deals on Ramirez’s behalf, helping to connect Ramirez with a fentanyl pill supplier. On multiple occasions, Ramirez traded used cars for a combination of cash and fentanyl pills in deals that Pena helped arrange.
Alex Fraga, Kevin Fraga, and Ramirez each pleaded guilty in November. Their sentencings are scheduled for Feb. 8, 2018, Jan 24, 2018, and March 8, 2018, respectively.
Pena faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
The investigation was led by the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office and the Massachusetts State Police – Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Brewster, Harwich, Sandwich, Mashpee, Chatham, Yarmouth, and Barnstable Police Departments and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department.
Santiago Pena’s charges include conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He was charged by indictment in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 2017. Pena faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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