Southbridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine
BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to traffic multiple kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.
Edgardo Ramirez, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 26, 2023, Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
Ramirez was indicted in September 2022 along with 21 other co-defendants for their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts. It is alleged that the DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO allegedly obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. From April to July 2022, Ramirez was responsible for mixing, packaging and transporting fentanyl and cocaine in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
