A seat-belt violation on a Cranston street last year unraveled into one of the city's bigger drug busts, and now the driver has pleaded guilty. Teddy Lopez, 21, admitted to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, a plea that prosecutors contend resolves a case built around 11 kilograms of cocaine found hidden inside his vehicle.
According to WJAR, Lopez pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and to one count of information that he would not require a grand jury to consider, prosecutors contend. The station reports he could face a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The plea traces back to a traffic stop conducted by Cranston police in the spring of 2025.
How the Stop Unfolded
Police conducted the stop on March 27, 2025, at roughly 9:58 a.m., when a patrol officer working a traffic enforcement detail pulled Lopez over, according to lprnews.org. What began as a seat-belt check led officers to a hidden compartment inside the car. Per WPRI, the officer found 11 kilograms of cocaine inside that compartment.
Bodycam footage reviewed by the same outlet's report on the arrest also documented additional substances pulled from the vehicle. Police reportedly found 11 kilograms of cocaine, a little more than two grams of fentanyl powder, 11 pressed fentanyl pills, and 10 ounces of different kinds of marijuana, the station notes. Prosecutors in the plea proceeding described the marijuana amount differently, alleging Lopez possessed 302 grams, and described the fentanyl as 2.15 grams — figures that diverge from the police department's original estimates.
Street Value Estimated at About $385,000
Investigators estimated the haul's value at roughly $385,000, a figure attributed to an official identified as Winquist in the same WPRI report on the bust. That estimate covered the full range of substances recovered from the hidden compartment during the stop.
Formal charges followed within days. Lopez was charged with possession of cocaine over one kilogram with intent to deliver, two counts of possession of Schedule II narcotics under 10 grams, and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, according to Patch. Court records list the case as USA v. Teddy Lopez, case number 1:25-mj-00019, filed in the Rhode Island District Court, per pacermonitor.com.
What Comes Next
The plea deal reported by WJAR leaves Lopez facing a sentencing range anchored at a 10-year minimum, with the possibility of life imprisonment at the maximum end, the station reports.
