A Cranston resident has confessed to leading a conspiracy involving the sale and distribution of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit Oxycodone pills. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Jorge Pimentel, also known as "Big Head," aged 35, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, along with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Court documents revealed that between May 31, 2023, and September 29, 2023, Pimentel facilitated sales of fentanyl-laced pills and organized their delivery. He received $37,000 for approximately 34,000 pills in monitored transactions. The FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force oversaw these deliveries and quickly seized the drugs.

Pimentel was apprehended on September 29, 2023. A search authorized by the court at a storage unit he rented in Pawtucket led to the seizure of about 8,968 grams of powdered fentanyl; 3405.1 grams of fentanyl in pill form (19,315 pills); and a high-speed pill press among other items.

The counterfeit Oxycodone pills contained fentanyl and were designed to resemble legitimate medication.

Sentencing for Pimentel is set for March 13, 2024. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. No plea agreement has been filed.

Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force with help from the Pawtucket Police Department. The task force includes agents from various law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, local police departments from Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, Central Falls, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and community organizations. On May 26, 2021, a strategy was launched under PSN focusing on building trust within communities and setting strategic enforcement priorities while measuring outcomes effectively.