Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Charges

          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Rafael Delacruz, a/k/a “Simba,” 55, of Lawrence, Massachusetts pleaded guilty in federal court to three drug distribution charges.

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Delacruz sold heroin and fentanyl in hand-to-hand exchanges with cooperating individuals inside a retail store in Plaistow, New Hampshire on July 8, October 20, and November 19, 2015. Delacruz also admitted to selling fentanyl to a cooperating individual on June 22, 2016, inside a retail store in Epping. Each of the transactions was surveilled and recorded by law enforcement officers and, in at least one instance, captured on a store’s security surveillance video. At the time of his arrest on June 22, 2016, Delacruz possessed some of the currency he had received during their transaction earlier in the day. A later search of Delacruz’ residence in Lawrence uncovered $1,000 in cash and a stolen handgun.

          Delacruz’s sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2017. If the plea agreement is accepted by the Court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 12 years in prison.

          “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to combatting the opioid crisis by using all available tools,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “We will work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for bringing opioids into New Hampshire and attempting to profit from the sale of these deadly drugs. This case is yet another example of the cooperation between various law enforcement agencies who are working together to protect our community.”

          “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels across New England and those suffering from opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “But those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA is committed to aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who distributes these drugs.”

          This matter was investigated by the Portsmouth (N.H.) Tactical Diversion Squad of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department with the help of the York (Maine) and Ogunquit (Maine) police departments and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

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