Pawtucket Man Admits to Being an Armed Heroin Trafficker
PROVIDENCE, R.I.– A Pawtucket man admitted to a federal judge on Monday that he was in possession of more than two kilos of fentanyl, a loaded Glock handgun, and nearly $80,000 in cash when Pawtucket Police executed a court-authorized search of his home and arrested him in October 2019, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Appearing in U.S. District Court, Adrian Montalvo, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to information presented to the court, members of the Pawtucket Police Department’s Special Squad /Narcotics Unit developed information that Montalvo, previously convicted multiple times in state courts for trafficking narcotics, was selling large quantities of fentanyl in the city of Pawtucket. Following an investigation that included surveillance of Montalvo and his residence, Pawtucket Police requested and received a court-authorized search warrant for his residence. Pawtucket Police executed the search warrant on October 1, 2019, and seized a total of 2,118.35 grams of fentanyl; $79,106 in cash; a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number; as well as several items used in the preparation and packaging of fentanyl for distribution.
Montalvo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
