Yet ANOTHER Illegal Alien in Lawrence Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution

BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday for distributing fentanyl.

Erick Alberto Paulino Amador, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl during a videoconference hearing before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns.  Judge Stearns then sentenced Paulino Amador to one year and one day in prison.  Paulino Amador will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.

On two occasions in July 2019, Paulino Amador sold fentanyl to an undercover agent.  Law enforcement officers arrested Paulino Amador in Lawrence on July 25, 2019, and he has been in custody since.  A federal grand jury indicted Paulino Amador in August 2019.

This case is part of a coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley called “Devil’s Highway.”  The operation targeted the distribution of opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, and resulted in charges against a total of 40 people for federal drug offenses, with at least a dozen more individuals facing state charges.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Weinograd prosecuted the case.