BOSTON – In a stunning turn of events, Oniel Rivera, 30, from Taunton, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to trafficking massive amounts of heroin and fentanyl in the region. The federal court in Boston heard the charges today.
Rivera’s guilty plea comes after a lengthy investigation that uncovered a sprawling heroin and fentanyl trafficking ring operating in southeastern Massachusetts. The case has been marked by an alarming increase in opioid-related deaths since 2013.
According to court documents, Rivera conspired with Dedwin Cruz-Rivera, Eric Matos, Manuel Romero-Gonsalez, and Jonathan Ruiz to distribute drugs throughout Taunton and its surroundings. Rivera is facing a stiff sentence that could see him spend no less than three years in prison and potentially up to a lifetime of supervised release.
Twenty out of the 26 defendants charged in the superseding indictment have already pleaded guilty. Among them, former supplier Eric Matos will be sentenced on June 8, 2017, while Manuel Romero-Gonsalez has been handed a 66-month prison term and faces deportation hearings after his release.
Oniel Rivera’s trial is scheduled for June 12, 2017. His plea of guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with a $1 million fine.
The investigation and prosecution were led by the United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Kanwit, Karen Beausey, Katherine Ferguson, and Ann Taylor are handling the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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