A Brockton man has been given a six-year-plus prison sentence after pleading guilty to a series of gun and drug charges, including the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine, as per a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts. Antonio Denziah Fernandes, age 23, will also face four years of supervised release following his 78-month incarceration, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani.
Fernandes's series of illicit activities came to light in late 2021 when investigations revealed he was involved in trafficking firearms and narcotics within the Brockton area. This escalated to the distribution of substantial quantities of fentanyl, a drug responsible for the increasing number of opioid deaths in the country. While already under indictment in state court for trafficking more than 10 grams of fentanyl, authorities say he sold a 9mm pistol and distributed around 100 grams of the potent synthetic opioid in two separate transactions early the following year. The U.S. Attorney's Office's statement detailed that these transactions took place near his residence in Brockton.
During his arrest, Fernandes was found with a loaded gun wedged against the seat in a vehicle, along with 2.8g of fentanyl and over a thousand dollars in cash. A subsequent search of an abandoned van nearby, allegedly used for storing and packaging drugs, revealed a hoard of contraband including additional fentanyl, cocaine, Percocet pills, and mushrooms, along with ammunition and drug packaging materials.
The case against Fernandes stemmed from a multi-agency operation, including the cooperation of federal and local law enforcement which resulted in the Superseding Information under which he was charged in September 2024 "Fernandes pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment, two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's announcement.
