A Pawtucket man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession and distribution of fentanyl along with firearm possession. Adrian Montalvo, 36, was arrested on October 1, 2019, during a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation led by the Pawtucket Police Department. Upon searching his residence, authorities seized more than two kilos of fentanyl, a loaded Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number, and nearly $80,000 in cash, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) reports that a lethal dose of fentanyl can be as little as 2 milligrams. Given that there are 1 million milligrams in a kilogram, the two kilos of fentanyl seized in this case could potentially equal up to 1 million lethal doses. This, however, is a rough estimate as the actual lethal dose can vary based on individual tolerance and the method of administration.
Montalvo's arrest was part of the broader initiative, Project Safe Neighborhoods, aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. His sentence is indicative of the high stakes involved in drug trafficking and the lengths law enforcement is willing to go to bring justice to those responsible for perpetuating the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States.
At the time of his arrest, Montalvo had a criminal history that included multiple state convictions for trafficking narcotics. The arrest was part of an investigation into the illegal distribution of fentanyl in the city of Pawtucket, which also resulted in the arrest of Erin Lawrence, 35. The two were charged with various crimes related to the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, along with firearm possession and alteration of the marks of identification on a firearm, reported the Providence Journal back in 2019.
