A Connecticut man, Hector Soto Gonzalez, has been sentenced in Worcester's federal court for his involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman, consists of 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Soto Gonzalez's legal troubles add to a previous conviction in the District of Puerto Rico for narcotics offenses. While on federal supervised release for that conviction, Soto Gonzalez became involved in the fentanyl supply chain for co-defendant Jose Mercado Aponte starting as early as June 2023. Mercado Aponte traveled from Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut, to collect drugs which he then provided to a cooperating witness.
On November 13, 2023, Mercado Aponte arranged a deal to sell a kilogram of fentanyl to the cooperating witness. That day, Mercado Aponte coordinated the transaction and made multiple calls to Soto Gonzalez. Surveillance noted Soto Gonzalez leaving his residence with an item in his vehicle’s trunk. He then drove from Connecticut to Massachusetts, where he was stopped by law enforcement, leading to the discovery of approximately a kilogram of fentanyl in his vehicle.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, James Crowley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police, and Commissioner Shawn Jenkins of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Additional assistance came from the FBI New Haven Division and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane.
