Four Defendants Sentenced To Federal Prison, One Awaiting Trial For Allegedly Shipping Cocaine Through The U.S. Mail

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Four defendants have been sentenced to federal prison and a fifth is awaiting trial in federal court on drug trafficking charges, for allegedly shipping packages containing substantial quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Postal Service, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.

Numerous packages which allegedly contained a total of nearly 14 kilos of cocaine and were addressed to Rhode Island residences were identified and tracked by U.S. Postal Inspectors. The majority of packages were allegedly shipped to Rhode Island from Puerto Rico. Some of the packages were allegedly shipped from California.

Controlled deliveries by U.S. Postal Inspectors, with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, resulted in the arrest of five individuals, four of whom have pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges and have been sentenced to federal prison. A fifth defendant is awaiting trial. All of the defendants allegedly operated independent of one another. Several other shipments of illegal narcotics through the U.S. Mail remain under investigation by U.S. Postal Inspectors.

United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “The distribution of illegal narcotics through the mail is an ongoing and dangerous problem. This Office is committed to working with the Postal Service and other law enforcement partners to deal aggressively with this threat to the health and safety of all Rhode Island residents.

Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division said, “The Postal Service is in the business of moving the mail and has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute illegal drugs.  Postal Inspectors work diligently to rid the mail of illicit drugs by maintaining an aggressive drug parcel detection program and seeking prosecution of mailers and recipients of illegal drugs to the fullest extent of the law.”

On March 16, 2012, U.S. Postal Inspectors, assisted by members of the HIDTA Task Force, arrested Alexi Ruiz, 44, of Providence, shortly after he accepted a controlled delivery of a package containing approximately two kilos of cocaine. The package had been shipped through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico to a Providence residence. Ruiz pled guilty in federal court on July 25, 2012, to a two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Ruiz was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi on November 1, 2012, to 84 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

On March 30, 2012, U.S. Postal Inspectors, assisted by members of the HIDTA Task Force, arrested Luis M. Camilo, 39, of Providence, shortly after he accepted a controlled delivery of a package containing approximately one kilo of cocaine. The package had been shipped from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Postal Service. Camilo pled guilty in federal court on May 23, 2012, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Camilo was sentenced on September 6, 2012, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

On April 26, 2012, Jorge Antonio Falcon-Ortiz, 40, of Providence, was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspectors, with the assistance of the HIDTA Task Force, after they intercepted the second of three packages containing substantial quantities of cocaine shipped between February 2012 and April 2012 from Puerto Rico. On August 10, 2012, Falcon-Ortiz pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and attempt to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Falcon-Ortiz was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi on November 1, 2012, to 78 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release.

Jamal L. Boleman, 33, of Providence, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi to 84 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was arrested on June 25, 2012, on a federal warrant on drug trafficking charges contained in a sealed federal indictment returned by a grand jury in May 2011. The charges stem from an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspectors into the delivery of at least two packages containing cocaine shipped in April 2011 from California to Pawtucket. 

On August 30, 2012, Michael C. Capurso, 34, of Newport, R.I., and Worcester, Mass., was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspectors, with the assistance of the HIDTA Task Force, shortly after the controlled delivery of a package which allegedly contained approximately 2.5 kilos of cocaine to Capurso’s Newport residence. The package was allegedly shipped through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico.

Capurso is awaiting trial on a federal indictment which charges him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Capurso has pled not guilty to the charges.

 An indictmentis merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Alexi Ruiz, Luis M. Camilo, Jorge Antonio Falcon-Ortiz and Jamal L. Boleman were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and William J. Ferland. Michael C. Capurso is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.

Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov