Taxi Driver From Lawrence Convicted of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been convicted following a four-day jury trial of drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.

Jose Dolores Batista, 65, was convicted on Nov. 20, 2025 of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. The defendant will be sentenced before U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV at a later date. Batista was arrested and charged in June 2023.

Batista, a taxi driver, served as a courier for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in various quantities – including half and whole kilograms. In his role, Batista would deliver drugs, drive drug traffickers and collect drug money from various customers of the DTO on a daily basis.

Evidence presented at trial established that on multiple dates, Batista travelled to pick up drugs and drug proceeds. Specifically, evidence showed that Batista travelled on one occasion to pick up $8,000 as a partial payment for a kilogram of fentanyl. On another occasion, Batista travelled to South Lawrence to pick up a kilogram of cocaine and then drove the cocaine to Boston where he exchanged it for $15,000. On another occasion, he drove to Lowell to pick up 350 grams of fentanyl.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. 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.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Natick, Newton, Waltham and Brookline Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are 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.