United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PROVIDENCE – A Providence resident who sold crack cocaine on at least three occasions while under surveillance by members of the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Michael Rodriguez, 26, pled guilty on August 31, 2021, to two counts of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base and distribution of cocaine base.

According to court documents, on July 30, 2020, Rodriguez cooked crack cocaine inside a family member’s Providence apartment while two children were inside the apartment. Rodriguez later sold the crack cocaine, engaging in one transaction that day, and two other sales on later dates.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., today sentenced Rodriguez to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.