A Hyannis woman, part of a fentanyl ring that had its grip on Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, is headed to the big house. Rebecca Bartholomew, 37, received a three-year prison sentence yesterday in a Boston federal court, after pleading guilty to her role in the drug trafficking operation.
Bartholomew's stint behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. Involved in an organization led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, Bartholomew was among 10 individuals rounded up and indicted last August, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. This dragnet was set in motion by an investigation that began in March 2021 targeting Ortiz-Alcantara's operations.
Known to the law as a redistributor, Bartholomew was caught distributing fentanyl between April and June 2022, after obtaining it from Ortiz-Alcantara and others in the organization. Her criminal activities hit a wall during a traffic stop last April when she was found with about 90 grams of the deadly opioid. Bartholomew's sentencing marks her as the fourth defendant to get prison time in the case.
The big fish of the operation, Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, pleaded guilty this past December, and is slated to get his comeuppance this July. To bring down the drug net, an army of agencies including the DEA, local police departments, and Homeland Security Investigations pooled resources, a statement by the Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy revealed. Levy, along with law enforcement officials, recognized the collaborative endeavor which dismantles these high-threat criminal organizations through a focused, intelligence-driven effort, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.
While Bartholomew and others in the group have been called to account, the legal battle isn't over. The indictment is merely an allegation, and the remaining defendants will retain their presumed innocence until the courts decide otherwise. The case further highlights the continued governmental crackdown on the distribution networks that fuel the nation's opioid epidemic. Ortiz-Alcantara's day of reckoning, set for July 9, remains a date of anticipation for all seeking justice in this extensive conspiracy.
