Convicted Felon Admits to Being an Armed Drug Dealer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man convicted multiple times on Rhode Island state drug charges admitted to a federal court judge that he illegally possessed two loaded firearms and 16 grams of heroin seized during an FBI Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Giancarlo Fermin, 35, today pleaded guilty as charged by way of indictment to possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, in August 2021, FBI agents executed a court-authorized search of Fermin’s residence and located two fully loaded firearms, ammunition, approximately 16 grams of heroin, and numerous items used to prepare and package narcotics for distribution, including a grinder, a digital scale, and more than 2,000 blue miniature paper envelopes.
As FBI agents entered Fermin’s residence, the agents saw Fermin tossing blue envelopes, some containing heroin, out of a window.
Fermin is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2023. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
