A Bronx man admitted his role in a drug distribution operation, pleading guilty to fentanyl distribution charges in a federal court today. Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 32, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, acknowledging his part in trafficking approximately one kilogram of the potent synthetic opioid to the Worcester area from New York City.
Arrested in December 2022, Genao was initially charged after an investigation identified him and multiple subjects as being involved in importing substantial quantities of fentanyl from outside the U.S. and spreading it throughout Springfield and the broader New England regions. According to details revealed on the U.S. Attorney's Office website, his arrest followed a December 8, 2022 trip from New York to Worcester during which he delivered a significant amount of fentanyl to a government witness.
The implications of Genao's plea include the possibility of up to 20 years imprisonment, at least three years to potentially a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine that could ascend to $1 million. Sentencing guidelines and federal statutes will guide Judge Mastroianni's final decision on the sentence, which is set to be pronounced on September 23, 2024.
Federal prosecutors, who have taken a firm stance against the fentanyl crisis, were supported by a coalition of law enforcement agencies in building their case against Genao. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen underlined the collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations in New England, as well as local police departments and county sheriff's offices in Massachusetts, as vital to the successful operation. A statement on the Justice Department's website highlighted how this case is a part of the broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which aims to establish swift and coordinated actions against major criminal outfits affecting the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches from the Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case against Genao, with the sentencing phase poised to bring a close to this particular chapter of fentanyl trafficking through the northeastern United States.
