United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Four men have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing oxycodone in the Fall River, Mass., and Tiverton, R.I., areas. The four were arrested following an investigation which began in the summer of 2010 by agents from the DEA Worcester Tactical Diversion Squad, which included numerous undercover purchases of substantial quantities of oxycodone.

Steven W. Derr, Special Agent in Charge of the New England field division of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New (DEA) and U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced that Steve Jason Barreto, 21, of Fall River has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison; Aaron Almeida, 30, of Tiverton, has been sentenced to 37 months imprisonment; Donald Alfonso, 30, of Fall River, has been sentenced to 96 months imprisonment; and James Patricio, 25, of Fall River has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

According to court documents and information presented to the Court, between June 2010 and January 2011, agents with the DEA Worcester Tactical Diversion Squad began an investigation into oxycodone distributors operating in the Fall River and Tiverton, R.I., area. As part of the investigation, DEA agents conducted a number of controlled purchases of oxycodone from the targets. As a result of the investigation, Jason Barreto and Donald Alfonso were charged, arrested and pled guilty to conspiring with each other to distribute oxycodone; and Aaron Almeida and James Patricio were charged, arrested and pled guilty to conspiring with each other to distribute oxycodone. Between the two cases, agents seized hundreds of oxycodone pills, over $17,500 in cash, and a 2005 GMC Yukon Denali.

The defendants have been detained since their arrests in January 2011.