Dominican Republic Native Sentenced To 63 Months In Prison For Fentanyl Distribution And Illegal Reentry

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Ricardo Pena, age 58, a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for distribution of fentanyl and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Following his term of imprisonment, Ricardo-Pena will face deportation for a third time.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Ricardo-Pena was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts in 2011, and deported to the Dominican Republic on or about August 31, 2011.  At some point after deportation, he illegally re-entered the United States and was arrested in Dauphin County on October 16, 2015, for drug trafficking charges.  He was ultimately convicted in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas of conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver heroin and was sentenced to concurrent terms of 7-14 months imprisonment. Following that conviction, he was arrested by ICE and charged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania with illegally re-entering the United States.  On February 8, 2017, he was convicted of that charge, sentenced to time served and on May 7, 2017, he was deported for a second time to the Dominican Republic.  

At some point after that deportation, Pena again illegally re-entered the United States.  On four separate occasions in 2023, Pena distributed fentanyl outside an apartment complex located in Harrisburg.  On August 23, 2023, he sold 22 grams of fentanyl; on September 5, 2023, he sold 40 grams of fentanyl; on September 14, 2023, he sold 53 grams of fentanyl; and on October 10, 2023, he sold 40 grams of fentanyl. In total, this equates to more than 4,700 individual doses of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is a deadly poison that devastates communities and shatters families. The arrest and sentencing of Jose Ricardo Pena, a criminal illegal alien who was previously removed, are a testament to our unwavering commitment to combating the devastation that it causes,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens.  “The diligent work by our investigative team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in uncovering and stopping the distribution networks of this lethal drug have saved lives and strengthened our communities. Pena will be deported after serving his prison sentence.”

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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