BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal
court in Boston in connection with selling fentanyl.
John Mena, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution
and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. District Court
Judge William G. Young, who scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2020.
According to court documents, Mena sold approximately 13g of
fentanyl in a transaction that an undercover agent witnessed. Mena was arrested
in Lawrence on July 16, 2019, as part of a 10-week 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.
The charge of distribution and possession with intent to
distribute fentanyl carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum
of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $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; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; and
Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque made the announcement today. Assistant U.S.
Attorney Alexandra Brazier of Lelling’s Office is prosecuting the case.
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