A Puerto Rico man has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation involving the shipment of cocaine to Manchester, New Hampshire. Acting U.S. Attorney Jay Mccormack announced that Lewistone Baez Miranda, 50, received a sentence of 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Baez Miranda had pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
"The defendant will spend the next six years in federal prison because he chose to use the United States Postal Service to facilitate his drug trafficking enterprise by shipping multiple kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to New Hampshire," said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay Mccormack. He further emphasized the dedication of postal inspectors in preventing mail-based drug trafficking and warned traffickers against using the mail for illegal activities.
Inspector Ketty Larco-Ward from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, highlighted the dangers posed by illegal narcotics: "Mr. Miranda’s actions endangered not only communities in New Hampshire but also endangered the U.S. Postal Service employees who move and deliver the mail every day." She commended collaboration with local law enforcement for bringing about a successful resolution.
Court documents revealed that Baez Miranda led a drug trafficking organization responsible for shipping over 5.6 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester between September 2020 and December 2021. The operation involved sending packages disguised as children's games through the United States Postal Service, with co-conspirators retrieving them upon arrival.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with support from the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Cesar Vega are handling prosecution duties.
