CONCORD - Christian Taveras-Polanco, a/k/a Lemuel Cruz Cepeda, 40, of Littleton, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2018, law enforcement officers surveilled Taveras-Polanco driving around the Littleton, New Hampshire, area in a gold Hummer registered to Lemuel Cruz Cepeda and stopping at two residences for a brief time. A traffic stop was conducted on the Hummer, and Taveras-Polanco initially identified himself as a citizen of the United States named Lemuel Cruz Cepeda. A consent search of the vehicle revealed 140 grams of cocaine. Taveras-Polanco was arrested and later admitted that he is a citizen of the Dominican Republic named Christian Taveras-Polanco, not a United States citizen named Lemuel Cruz Cepeda. Officers obtained a search warrant for Taveras-Polanco’s residence and located 302 additional grams of cocaine there.
Taveras-Polanco is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2019.
“Drug trafficking causes untold damage to communities throughout New Hampshire," said U.S. Attorney Murray. It is of vital importance that we push back aggressively against the sale of these deadly substances. We are fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout the state to identify and prosecute those who are involved in distributing cocaine and other dangerous drugs."
“We’re thankful for the successful prosecution of this individual, which should be seen as a sign of the seriousness with which federal law enforcement takes the threat posed by criminal illegal aliens who prey on U.S. citizens and the communities they hide within,“ said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent In Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
