Five Springfield Men Indicted for Drug Distribution and Firearm Offenses

BOSTON – Five Springfield men were indicted on July 6, 2023, in connection with a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.   

• Abraham Heredia, 23, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl; 
• Jose Heredia, Jr., 34, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense; 
• Lamiek White, 29, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm;
• Isais Diaz, 24, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; and
• Robert Collado, 38, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. 

Heredia, Heredia, Jr. and White were arrested in June 2023. White and Abraham Heredia were arraigned in federal court in Springfield on July 6, 2023, before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson, and the remaining defendants will be arraigned in the upcoming weeks.  

According to the charging documents, Heredia and Heredia, Jr. conspired on at least two dates to distribute fentanyl. On June 7, 2023, the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute more than one and a half kilograms of fentanyl. It is further alleged that approximately 200 grams of fentanyl and a firearm with an obliterated serial number were found during a search of White’s residence. Court documents also allege that Diaz conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and that he and Collado conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and fine of up to $8 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and fine of $8 million. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must be served consecutive to the sentence imposed for the drug offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; and the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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