BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday for distributing fentanyl.
, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 108 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Sep. 14, 2020, Batista pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Between August 2017 and November 2018, investigators conducted an undercover investigation of Batista’s fentanyl dealing. Over the course of 15 months, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Batista. Batista was arrested on Nov. 15, 2019.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force conducted the investigation.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.