A Lawrence, Massachusetts woman received a sentence of probation instead of prison time for charges related to fentanyl distribution. Ceferina Dominguez, 57, faced the judgment yesterday in federal court in Boston. District Court Judge Angel Kelley handed down a sentence of four years' probation, as opposed to the 51 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, which had been recommended by the government.
In June of this year, Dominguez pleaded guilty to both conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The charges stem from an April 2021 investigation that led to the discovery of 9.6 kilograms of fentanyl in her residence and an additional 6.4 kilograms in a vehicle registered under her name, according to a report by the U.S. Attorney's Office. A prior incident in 2018 involved the seizure of various forms of fentanyl and drug proceeds from a townhouse rented by Dominguez.
The case against Dominguez was the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program designed to target high-level criminal operations. This multilateral approach relies on a coalition of intelligence and law enforcement agencies working in concert to dismantle networks posing threats to public safety.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, confirmed the sentencing outcome. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, was noted as the prosecutor of record for this case. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at the Justice Department's official website.
