Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A Bridgewater resident has been sentenced to over six years in prison for cocaine trafficking. Kevin Mercado, aged 38, received a sentence of 78 months from Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. Mercado had pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
The investigation into Mercado's activities began in 2019, focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing in cocaine and fentanyl across southeastern Massachusetts, including Brockton. Between March 2020 and November 2023, authorities conducted 11 controlled drug purchases from Mercado. A search of his Bridgewater apartment in November 2023 uncovered nearly one and a half kilograms of cocaine and cocaine base, along with three digital scales, a money counter, and $16,086 in drug proceeds. Further examination of Mercado’s SnapChat account revealed communications indicating access to large quantities of cocaine and an intention to convert it into crack cocaine.
In 2010, Mercado was previously sentenced to four years in federal prison for two counts related to the distribution of cocaine base.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. The Massachusetts State Police and the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative. The initiative involves multi-agency task force teams working together at the same location to disrupt significant drug traffickers and criminal organizations through intelligence-driven operations.
