BOSTON - A Yarmouth Port man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging operation that distributed heroin and fentanyl throughout Cape Cod.
Alex Fraga, 25, of Yarmouth Port, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2018.
Alex Fraga and three others were charged as part of a drug ring that shipped large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin from Boston to Cape Cod, where it was then redistributed. On Aug. 16, 2017, Alex Fraga and his brother, Kevin Fraga, were arrested after federal authorities seized large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from the home Alex and Kevin shared in Yarmouth Port.
Approximately one week later, Jose Solivan and James Ramirez, alleged drug suppliers to the Fraga brothers, were arrested, and law enforcement seized fentanyl pills and powdered fentanyl from a drug stash house in Dorchester, Ramirez’s home in Dorchester, and a safety deposit box at Santander Bank in Dorchester. Further investigation revealed Solivan’s true identity as Kelvin Chalas.
Kevin Fraga pleaded guilty on Nov. 1, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2018.
The charge provides for a mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office and the Massachusetts State Police - Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Brewster, Harwich, Sandwich, Mashpee, Chatham, Yarmouth, and Barnstable Police Departments and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen formerly of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
