Lawrence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution

 BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for selling fentanyl.

Marino Amador Baez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In July 2020, Baez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.    

On Sept. 11, 2019, an undercover agent reached a deal with Baez to buy 100 grams of fentanyl. Baez brought the fentanyl to the pre-arranged meeting location and got into the undercover’s vehicle to make the sale. He was subsequently arrested.

This case was part of a coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley called “Devil’s Highway” that culminated in September 2019. 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.

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 Eve A. Piemonte of Lelling’s Office prosecuted the case.