A Taunton woman, whose identity was not disclosed in the report, has entered a guilty plea in a Boston federal courtroom on a range of charges, including drug distribution and identity theft. Terrence Pyrtle, also known by several aliases such as "Big T" and "big_t558," confessed to his role in a drug conspiracy involving significant amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and methamphetamine. Pyrtle, 42, has also admitted to utilizing someone else's identity to fraudulently rent properties used in his drug trafficking operations, according to a Department of Justice announcement.
Alongside co-conspirator Ashley Roostaie, Pyrtle exploited another individual's personal data to forge lease agreements for apartments that doubled as distribution points for their drug conspiracy. Charged back in April 2023, the duo managed to obscure their connection to these apartments, employed by Pyrtle to advance his drug dealings, by leveraging the victim's name, birth date, and Social Security number. Scheduled for sentencing on July 17, Pyrtle's plea encapsulates several crimes including conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, as well as access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
As outlined by authorities, the drug ring had extended across multiple locations within the state. Pyrtle and Roostaie went so far as to set up an email account and fabricate a driver's license using the stolen identity. They even used the victim's information to open a Green Dot debit card account to make payments tied to the leased properties. In February, Roostaie pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing in May.
These offenses carry hefty penalties; the drug distribution charges alone could lead to a minimum of 10 years up to a lifetime in prison, with potential fines as steep as $10 million. For the fraud and identity theft allegations, Pyrtle could see additional years in prison, supervised release time, and more fines. The crime of aggravated identity theft guarantees a mandatory two-year prison term to be served consecutively with any other sentence, adding to Pyrtle's potential time behind bars. Law enforcement officials, including U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI's Boston Division, credited multiple police and sheriff's departments for their cooperation in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O'Donnell David and Cutshall of the Criminal Division.
This bust is a result of an operation spearheaded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The program targets high-level criminal organizations with a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach. For more details on the OCDETF program, the public can visit their website.
