Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who acted as a middleman as he bought and sold cocaine as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy was sentenced today to nearly four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Miguel Colon, 36, pleaded guilty on August 24, 2022, to a single charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine with intent to distribute. An FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigation revealed that on multiple occasions Colon purchased various quantities of cocaine from a supplier, and that he was in the business of reselling the drugs to others. Colon also offered to help his supplier gain access to kilogram quantities of drugs.
On September 16, 2021, members of the FBI Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Colon’s apartment and seized over five grams of cocaine as well items used in the packaging and sale of drugs.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Colon to forty-six months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
The person from whom Colon allegedly purchased cocaine: William Mendez, 47, is awaiting trial in federal court, charged by way of indictment with conspiracy to distribute and to possess cocaine with intent to distribute; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute forty grams or more of fentanyl. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Erickson.
