Monday, January 20, 2020

Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl


BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for selling fentanyl to an undercover officer.

Jonathan Marquez, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2020. Marquez was arrested in September 2019 and has been detained since October 2019.

In September 2019, an undercover officer placed an order with a fentanyl dealer, and Marquez then met the undercover officer at an arranged location in Lawrence. Marquez handed the officer 11 individually-wrapped bags containing brownish powder in exchange for cash.  Laboratory results later determined that the brownish powder contained fentanyl.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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 E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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