BOSTON – A Haverhill man was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Sergio Garcia, 36, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Following an initial appearance yesterday in federal court in Boston, Garcia was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 1, 2020.
According to the indictment, Garcia was in possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Boston and Haverhill from April 20, 2020 to April 23, 2020.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division made the announcement. The Haverhill Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.