Winchester Woman Sentenced To 65 Months For Drug Trafficking

CONCORD - Alysha DeJesus, 25, of Winchester, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for attempted possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.  

           According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning around December of 2017, a drug organization in Lawrence, Massachusetts maintained a series of telephone numbers to receive orders and distribute controlled substances, primarily fentanyl and crack cocaine.  On June 19, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at locations used by the organization and seized a telephone that was used for the drug distribution.  Law enforcement officers then initiated an operation in which they communicated with the customers of the organization to effectuate their arrests after the customers placed orders for illegal drugs.

          On June 24, 2019, DeJesus sent a text message to order 150 grams of fentanyl and 2 ounces of cocaine for $4,500.  After receiving the text, undercover agents instructed DeJesus to a particular location in Nashua to receive the drugs. The agents told her to leave the money in the cup holder of the car and walk away.  DeJesus exited the vehicle with a male subject, who she described to the agents as “her man.”  The agents then stopped DeJesus who had in her possession the telephone with whom the agents had been texting.  Agents located the currency for the drugs wrapped in a towel in the center console of the vehicle.  After her arrest, DeJesus admitted traveling to Nashua to purchase drugs for $4,500

          DeJesus previously pleaded guilty on February 19, 2020.

          “The distribution of illegal drugs damages public health and safety throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “The harm caused by this activity focuses the attention of law enforcement agencies on the dealers.  In order to prevent the sale of dangerous drugs, we will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and incarcerate the drug dealers who endanger lives in the Granite State.” 

          “Fentanyl is causing great damage to our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify traffickers, like Ms. DeJesus who distribute this poison to the citizens of New Hampshire.  Today’s sentence not only holds Ms. DeJesus accountable for her crimes but serves as a warning to those who are fueling the opioid epidemic.”

          This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police, Methuen Police Department, Andover, Massachusetts Police Department, Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Hampshire State Police, Manchester Police Department, Nashua Police Department, Salem Police Department, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson Police Department, and the Goffstown Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.

          This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.