Lawrence Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester in connection with a 2017 fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. 

Ernesto Rodriguez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute in excess of 40 grams of fentanyl. 

In May 2019, co-defendant Jorge Burgos, 40, of Leicester, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and 40 months of supervised release, and in August 2019, another co-defendant, Joshua Sanchez, a/k/a Manuel Peguero, was sentenced to 34 months in prison and three years of supervised released. The last co-defendant, Carlos Rodriguez, previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9, 2019.

As a result of various wiretaps capturing the defendants’ discussions of sales and purchases of fentanyl in November and December 2017, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance of Rodriguez participating in fentanyl sales on multiple occasions. On Dec. 20, 2017, after intercepted communications suggested that a co-defendant would be delivering 50 grams of fentanyl to a residence in Leicester, Mass., agents stopped the co-defendant’s vehicle and recovered just under 50 grams of fentanyl. That day, an additional 40 grams of fentanyl were turned over to authorities by Rodriguez.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Leicester Interim Police Chief Kenneth Antanavica made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.