Dominican Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

            CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Yossi Rafael Rincon Ramirez, 42, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy and for distributing fentanyl. 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least December 6, 2016, through May 2, 2017, the defendant delivered fentanyl to customers on behalf of a drug dealer based in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  On four separate occasions, the defendant sold fentanyl to an undercover DEA agent in Nashua, New Hampshire, and on May 2, 2017, law enforcement officers arrested Rincon Ramirez as he travelled to Nashua to make another drug delivery.         

            On April 23, 2018, Rincon Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance.  He is likely to be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his sentence.

           “Stopping fentanyl from coming into New Hampshire is a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This dangerous drug continues to cause many deaths and extensive damage our communities.  We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute traffickers who bring fentanyl into the Granite State.”  

            “New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl climb,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those like Mr. Rincon Ramirez, who are coming from out of state to contribute to this crisis.  DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs.”

            This matter was investigated by the DEA, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the police departments of Hudson, NH, Nashua, NH, and Methuen, MA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley prosecuted the case.

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. 

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