Dominican National Convicted by Federal Jury of Drug Trafficking Charges

 BOSTON – A Utah-based cocaine trafficker was convicted on Thursday following a two-day trial in Boston. 

Droel Jared Encarnacion, 28, of Medford, Mass. and Salt Lake City, Utah, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2021.

In August and September 2018, federal investigators were conducting a wiretap investigation into Encarnacion and his co-conspirator, Robin Manuel Suazo, who lived in Lynn, Mass.  The two men discussed their fentanyl and cocaine distribution activities in several calls, and discussed shipping drugs from Utah to Boston.  On Sept. 17, 2018, Encarnacion shipped, via, FedEx, a package containing approximately 427 grams of cocaine from his home in Utah to his mother’s address in Medford, Mass.  Encarnacion then flew to Boston himself to pick up the cocaine. Agents stopped the two men as they drove together in a vehicle toward Lynn, and located the FedEx package of cocaine in the vehicle, showing Encarnacion as the sender of the package.  

The crimes of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million.  

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared Dolan of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.