Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A member of the East Side Money Gang has been sentenced to over six years in prison for involvement in a narcotics distribution conspiracy. Henry Del Rio, also known as "Junior," was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Del Rio had previously pleaded guilty in May 2024 to charges related to the distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Del Rio was arrested alongside co-defendant Jose Perez in January 2023. The arrest followed an incident in December 2022 when police attempted to stop a speeding vehicle driven by Perez through Lexington, Massachusetts. During the pursuit, Perez crashed into another vehicle and lost control before colliding with a post. Upon exiting the vehicle, he dropped a loaded Glock 34X handgun. Both men fled on foot but were soon apprehended by officers.
Police found approximately 63 grams of cocaine and 44 smaller bags of fentanyl totaling around 53 grams where Del Rio had fled. An additional bag containing about 49 grams of cocaine was recovered from the vehicle.
At the time of this offense, Del Rio was already on federal supervised release after serving five years for previous felony convictions linked to drug and firearms offenses involving the same gang.
In December 2024, Jose Perez received a sentence of 142 months following his conviction by a federal jury earlier that year.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Boston Field Division. Assistance during this case was provided by several local police departments and Customs and Border Protection, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Crowley and Sarah Hoefle.
