Dominican Republic Citizen Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison For Leading a Lawrence, Massachusetts-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

CONCORD – A Dominican national and former resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for leading a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez, 37, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. On January 4, 2023, Cruz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine. He has been incarcerated since he was arrested on this case in February of 2022. 

“For a time, Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez was the premier narcotics distributor in this region,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “While he largely avoided direct contact with the drugs, he was running the drug trafficking business behind the scenes. Today's lengthy sentence demonstrates that high-level drug traffickers cannot shield their identities to escape responsibility by directing subordinates to deal drugs onto the streets of our communities.”

“DEA is committed to investigating individuals like Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division.  “Today’s substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives.  DEA’s top priority will continue to be combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”

Cruz-Gonzalez was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Lawrence that distributed drugs via a network of sub-distributors throughout the northern New England region, including New Hampshire. His organization used at least 20 different phone numbers to arrange transactions with sub-distributors, and he used at least 13 different employees to operate his illegal enterprise. He is the final defendant to be sentenced in this multi-year investigation. In related cases in the District of New Hampshire, the following sentences have already been imposed:

1. Jonathan Cruz-Marte, sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 96 months in federal prison.
2. Enver Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on September 20, 2021 to 72 months in federal prison.
3. Geoffrey Morse, sentenced on April 14, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
4. Colby Mann, sentenced on July 11, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
5. Phat Tay, sentenced on May 26, 2021 to 70 months in federal prison.
6. Alysha DeJesus, sentenced on July 14, 2020 to 65 months in federal prison.
7. Adrian Maas, sentenced on January 1, 2021 to 60 months in federal prison.
8. Eddil Ortez, sentenced on October 1, 2020 to 57 months in federal prison.
9. Elijah Cox, sentenced on April 16, 2021 to 36 months in federal prison.
10. Mayerlin Urena, sentenced on January 3, 2024 to 27 months in federal prison.
11. Robert Twombly, sentenced on August 20, 2020 to 24 months in federal prison.
12. Christian Muniz-Perkins, sentenced on February 18, 2021 to 23 months in federal prison.
13. Jeffrey Roy, sentenced on November 17, 2021 to 20 months in federal prison.
14. James Henry, sentenced on October 15, 2020 to 13 months in federal prison.
15. Carlos Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on October 26, 2022 to 10 months in federal prison.
16. Cortny Reichert, sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 9 months in federal prison.
17. Amy Dame, sentenced on March 18, 2021 to 8 months in federal prison.
18. Timothy Wheeler, sentenced on July 19, 2021 to 4 months in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Jarad Hodes, Deputy Criminal Chief Georgiana MacDonald, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

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