Dominican National Indicted For Distributing Fentanyl

BOSTON – A Dominican national was charged today in federal court in Boston with distributing fentanyl.

Rosario Lara, 36, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was indicted on one count of distributing cocaine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Lara was arrested and charged by complaint on April 19, 2019.

According to the charging documents, Lara sold more than a half-kilogram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Lawrence on Feb. 21, 2019. Lara was arrested that day on state charges.

Lara faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of 10 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $10 million. Lara will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police and Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.