Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking

            CONCORD - Victor Soto, 38, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison for fentanyl trafficking, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 30, 2018, Manchester police officers acquired reliable information that the defendant would deliver 300 to 400 grams of fentanyl to Manchester later that day. The Manchester police officers shared this information with the New Hampshire State Police.  That evening, the New Hampshire State Police located defendant’s black Acura SUV driving north on I-93.  The defendant was driving alone.  The police followed the defendant to route 293 and then onto South Willow St. in Manchester, where they stopped him.  During a subsequent consent search of his vehicle, officer found approximately 394 grams of fentanyl in the trunk.    

            Soto previously pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute on November 8, 2018.

            “Fentanyl distribution continues to damage the fabric of the Granite State,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “As this case demonstrates, members of the law enforcement community are working closely each day to stop the flow of opioids into our state and to protect our citizens.  I am grateful for the efforts of the investigators in this case.  Their work prevented a substantial quantity of this deadly drug from being sold in New Hampshire.”

            “We’re very gratified with the sentence that was handed down in this case today,” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Together with the critical help of our local and federal partners in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations like this one, we are making real progress in combatting the impacts of the devastating opioid and fentanyl epidemic that has ravaged the lives of so many communities throughout the region.”

              This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, New Hampshire State Police, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.

            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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