TAMPA, Fla. - A federal jury has found Wilis A. Santiago Rivera (60, St. Petersburg) guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Santiago faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Santiago was indicted on Sept. 12, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, Santiago Rivera was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap coordinating payment for two kilograms of fentanyl that he had previously received on consignment. Other intercepted calls captured Santiago Rivera’s attempts to sell additional kilograms of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tampa District Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
More information about this case can be found at https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov or https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov
