Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing More than Forty Grams of Fentanyl

PROVIDENCE – A 31-year-old Providence man was sentenced today to five years and 1 day in federal prison for possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a firearm less than a week after he pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. 

According to charging documents, Mason A. Nieves was convicted in February 2021 of participating  in a conspiracy that distributed significantly more than 60,000 units of steroids.  Less than a week later, a court-authorized search of Nieves’ residence conducted by members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Area (HIDTA) Task Force found Nieves in possession of 251 grams of fentanyl. The search also recovered drug packaging materials; a loaded firearm located under Nieves’ bed; and $1,591 in cash.

Nieves pleaded guilty on February 15, 2023, to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 60 months and one day of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and G. Michael Seaman.

Together with Department of Homeland Security, Rhode Island State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Mansfield Police Department and North Attleboro Police Departments in Massachusetts, this case was investigated and prosecuted in federal court as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.