BOSTON (WWLP) – A man from Rhode Island will spend 10 years in prison for his role in trafficking fentanyl across the country including in Massachusetts.
In a news release from the Department of Justice in Boston, an investigation began in September 2019 into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Providence, Rhode Island led by Jasdrual Perez . It was alleged that Perez manufactured large quantities of fentanyl pills designed to appear like pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone/Percocet pills and distribute them and other controlled substances throughout the United States.
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A member of the organization, 36-year-old Erik Ventura maintained one of the drug stash locations. He would transport cash and drugs to and from New York and distribute thousands of fentanyl pills to customers of the organization in Massachusetts. It was also discovered that Ventura distributed fentanyl and cocaine to his customers, including one who survived an overdose at a stash house where Ventura lived.
Ventura and Perez were arrested and charged in February 2022 for their involvement in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl pills that spanned across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Texas, and North and South Carolina…