A federal court in Boston has handed down a sentence to a Rhode Island man for his involvement in a significant fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. This conspiracy was responsible for the widespread distribution of large amounts of fentanyl in various states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.
Jasdrual, also known as Josh Perez, a 36-year-old resident of Cranston, R.I., has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 22.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Furthermore, Perez has been ordered to pay a fine of $1 million and forfeit his rights to the residence from which he distributed fentanyl. This ruling has been made by the Massachusetts Department of Justice.
“Fentanyl claims the lives of more than 2,000 individuals each year in Massachusetts, a figure that is simply unacceptable. Jasdural Perez, the mastermind behind a thriving operation that flooded the streets of Massachusetts and neighboring states with over 200 kilograms of this lethal substance, is responsible for wreaking havoc and devastating countless lives. Perez’s involvement, however, extends beyond that of a mere street-level dealer. He went as far as acquiring industrial pill presses to manufacture millions of highly addictive and hazardous fentanyl-laced pills. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy strongly asserts, “This office, alongside our federal partners, will remain unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable those who contribute to this deadly crisis. We commend the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners, who tirelessly work day in and day out to expose, dismantle, and punish these organizations and their leaders.”
“Fentanyl is responsible for an alarming number of deaths, and the DEA is fully committed to aggressively pursuing individuals involved in the distribution of this deadly substance. This includes targeting those who are manufacturing pills that resemble legitimate prescription medications, with the sole purpose of profiting and wreaking havoc on people’s lives,” emphasized Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, from the New England Field Division. “The illegal distribution of drugs has a devastating impact on our families and communities. Every time we successfully remove fentanyl from the streets, we are directly saving lives. This investigation serves as a powerful testament to the effective collaboration between local, county, and state law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts, as well as the strong partnership we have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“The sentencing of Jasdural Perez delivers a powerful message to individuals who prioritize personal gain over the safety and welfare of our communities,” emphasized Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Perez spearheaded a criminal network with the sole objective of saturating our streets with dangerous narcotics. By disguising fentanyl as legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, Perez not only jeopardized the lives of his customers but also sold them a substance that is significantly more potent and lethal.”
Perez led a narcotics trafficking organization based in Providence, Rhode Island, which provided substantial amounts of fentanyl. Perez and his DTO crushed fentanyl powder into tablets that resembled pharmaceutical-grade Oxycodone or Percocet pills and distributed them across several states. Perez and his DTO supplied an estimated 200 kg of fentanyl while also producing and selling millions of counterfeit fentanyl tablets. Perez led the DTO, employed a large number of workers, and made his own fentanyl pills.
On February 7, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Perez’s residence, where they discovered two large-scale pill presses and several kilograms of fentanyl. The seized items included bags containing fentanyl powder and a staggering number of counterfeit oxycodone pills, exceeding 50,000, all of which contained fentanyl.
Upon learning about the searches on his properties, Perez hastily left Rhode Island and sought refuge in New York. During his escape, Perez managed to arrange yet another fentanyl deal, involving the sale of 19,000 pills. Unfortunately for him, law enforcement authorities were able to intercept and confiscate the illicit drugs once again.
Perez has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 11, 2022. Recently, Erik Ventura, who is also a co-defendant in this conspiracy, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA Acting SAC Belleau, Acting IRS SAC Wlodyka, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, announced today. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, and the Cranston, Warwick, and West Warwick, RI Police Departments. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha, Lindsey Weinstein, and Craig Estes of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit.
This action is a component of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative. The initiative aims to create dedicated teams of multiple agencies, working together in one location. This collaborative approach allows agents from different organizations to join forces and collectively target major drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The teams conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle these significant criminal networks.