BOSTON - A Providence, R.I., woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for her role in a Taunton-based heroin trafficking operation.
Kerem Mendez-Luz, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to five months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2017, Mendez-Luz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
After a lengthy investigation, Mendez-Luz and 11 co-conspirators were arrested and charged in July 2015 for their roles in a drug trafficking organization, led by Eddyberto Mejia Ramos, that sold heroin throughout the Taunton area. Mejia Ramos purchased large quantities of heroin from several wholesale suppliers, including Saul Sanchez Rolon. On at least three occasions, Mendez-Luz delivered heroin to, or collected drug proceeds from, Mejia-Ramos at the direction of Sanchez Rolon. Mejia Ramos and his mid-level associates then distributed the heroin to lower level distributors and customers.
Mendez-Luz is the last of the 12 defendants involved in the conspiracy to be sentenced. In August 2016, Mejia Ramos was sentenced to 90 months in prison; and in January 2017, Sanchez Rolon was sentenced to 108 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Taunton Police Chief Edward J. Walsh; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
