News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2005

Worcester Man Convicted on Federal Drug Charges

JUN 29 -- Worcester, MA... A Worcester man was pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to federal drug offenses.

June Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; and William Keefe, Acting Chief of the Webster Police Department, announced that HECTOR SANCHEZ, a/k/a“Jacinto Santana,” age 35, of Worcester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine, and four counts of distributing crack cocaine.

At yesterday’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that in March and April 2003, SANCHEZ conspired with Candido Rodriguez, a/k/a “Junior,” and others to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine in Webster and Worcester. During that time period, the DEA’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”) Task Force made four separate crack cocaine purchases from SANCHEZ and Rodriguez. On each occasion, Rodriguez conducted the drug negotiations from his business at Amigo’s Market, located in Webster. The subsequent crack cocaine deals occurred in the Chandler Street area in Worcester where SANCHEZ supplied the crack cocaine. On each occasion, DEA agents were able to witness and record the drug transactions.

Judge Saylor scheduled sentencing for October 5, 2005, at 2:00 p.m. Rodriguez, age 30, formerly of Webster, pleaded guilty to the same charges on February 3, 2005 and is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Saylor on August 25, 2005, at 3:00 p.m. Both SANCHEZ and Rodriguez have been in custody since their arrest on April 14, 2004 and both defendants face a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum term of life, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $4 million fine. SANCHEZ, a Dominican native, also faces immediate deportation proceedings upon the completion of his prison sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Task Force in Worcester, with assistance from the Webster and Worcester Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Casey in Sullivan’s Worcester Office.