A New Bedford man has been sentenced to a prison term for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring, following federal court proceedings in Boston. Vinicio DeJesus Marrero Arias, 40, received a sentence that includes three years of incarceration, with an additional three years of supervised release, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office yesterday. An investigation pointed to Arias as involved in the fentanyl trade around the Lord Phillips Apartments.
The sentence, handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, also leaves Arias facing deportation after he serves his time behind bars. Last October, Arias admitted guilt to a count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the potent synthetic opioid. Court documents reveal, that law enforcement discovered over several hundred grams of fentanyl and approximately $1.2 million in what is believed to be drug money after searching properties associated with him and his co-conspirator.
Yohenry Contreras-Lara, implicated alongside Arias, entered a guilty plea this past November and is expected to hear his sentencing on March 3, according to the federal authorities involved in the case. The successful outcome of this investigation was a collaborative effort between several agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Field Division and the New Bedford Police Department, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit led the prosecution of the case. According to statements by Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA, Stephen Belleau, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker of the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, the work by both federal and local law enforcement was critical in disrupting the fentanyl trafficking operations within the community.
As the opioid epidemic continues to affect communities nationwide, cases such as this shed light on law enforcement's unyielding pursuit to combat the proliferation of illicit drugs and the dangers they present. For the full statement on the sentencing of Vinicio DeJesus Marrero Arias, details can be found in the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.
.jpg){kind=link}