Paterson, New Jersey, Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Distributing Heroin

NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for the distribution of kilogram quantities of heroin, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Reinaldo Rodriguez, 30, a/k/a “Memo,” and “Killa,” was convicted in April 2019 of conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute heroin following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:

From June 2015 through April 20, 2016, Rodriguez participated in a conspiracy to distribute heroin to street-level drug dealers in the Paterson area. The conspirators obtained their heroin from a supplier in Bronx, New York, where it was packaged and stamped “Goosebumps,” “Transformers,” “Wendy’s” and “New Jack City,” designating the source. Law enforcement officials conducted surveillance while Rodriguez delivered stamped “bricks” of heroin to a confidential source. Rodriguez also was heard discussing drug trafficking on court-authorized wiretaps.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Rodriguez to six years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies dedicated to identifying and dismantling the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie L. Hoxie of the Cyber Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Suchorsky of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

Defense counsel: John P. McGovern Esq. and Christopher Dunn Esq., Newark