United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy | U.S. Department of Justice
A man from Cranston, Rhode Island, was sentenced in a federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl across Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Mario Rafael Dominguez-Ortiz, 27, received a sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs of one year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2024, Dominguez-Ortiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 along with nine other individuals.
The investigation into the DTO began in March 2021 and was led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara. Dominguez-Ortiz was identified as a member employed by Ortiz-Alcantara to deliver fentanyl. Between July and November 2021, he delivered fentanyl on four occasions to a cooperating source, distributing approximately 500 grams over the period.
Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty in December 2023 and is set to be sentenced on February 5, 2025.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers. The case received special assistance from multiple agencies including the Massachusetts State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a multi-agency approach.
