A Lawrence man has been found guilty by a jury of drug trafficking conspiracy involving substances such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, 65-year-old taxi driver Jose Dolores Batista was convicted on Thursday, following a trial that lasted four days.
Arrested back in June 2023, Batista reportedly played the role of a courier for a drug trafficking organization (DTO). He was responsible for delivering drugs, driving drug traffickers, and collecting drug money from the DTO's customers daily. The prosecution presented evidence at trial that showed Batista had on multiple occasions traveled to quickly pick up drugs and deliver drug proceeds. On one particular instance, he was said to have picked up $8,000 as partial payment for a kilogram of fentanyl.
Other instances detailed by the prosecution included Batista traveling to South Lawrence to collect a kilogram of cocaine, which he then drove to Boston and exchanged for $15,000. In another case, he was said to have driven to Lowell to collect 350 grams of fentanyl. His conviction carries the potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years' supervised release, and a fine of $1 million, with the actual sentence to be determined by the federal district court judge, based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The successful conviction stems from a collaborative enforcement effort spearheaded by various agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England, the Massachusetts State Police, and local police departments from Natick, Newton, Waltham, and Brookline. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and J. Mackenzie Duane are noted to vigorously prosecute the case, which is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation – an initiative designed to disrupt and dismantle high-level criminal organizations through a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach.
Details about Batista's sentencing are expected to be announced at a later date by Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget, and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police have been credited with the announcement of this conviction.
