A Fitchburg man has been sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine. Jose Mercado Aponte, 31, received a sentence of 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. This decision was made by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman.

Mercado Aponte had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, as well as five counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The criminal activities took place between April 2023 and November 13, 2023. Mercado Aponte collaborated with others, including Hector Soto Gonzalez, to knowingly distribute the drugs. He met with a cooperating witness on several occasions in Worcester and Leominster, Massachusetts, exchanging drugs for money. During some meetings, discussions about selling a firearm also occurred.

The investigation reached its peak on November 13, 2023. On that day, Mercado Aponte arranged a deal to sell one kilogram of fentanyl to the cooperating witness. Communication between Mercado Aponte and Soto Gonzalez was tracked as they coordinated the transaction from Hartford, Connecticut to Massachusetts. Law enforcement observed Soto Gonzalez leaving his residence with an item placed in his trunk before traveling across state lines where he was stopped by police. Approximately one kilogram of fentanyl was found inside his vehicle.

Soto Gonzalez is expected to change his plea on January 16, 2024.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen from the FBI's Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police; and Commissioner Shawn Jenkins from the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistance came from various law enforcement agencies including the FBI New Haven Division and several local police departments across Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane is prosecuting this case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies.