A Dominican national has been sentenced to a decade in prison for his involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Juan Anibal Patrone Gonzalez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin on May 13, 2025, in Boston federal court. Following his prison term, he will face five years of supervised release and is subject to deportation.
In February 2025, Patrone Gonzalez admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. His co-defendant, San Geronimo Santana Amador, also a Dominican national without legal status in the U.S., remains at large after failing to appear following his conditional release.
Patrone Gonzalez had previously pleaded guilty in 2018 to similar charges involving heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl distribution within Massachusetts. In May 2019, he received a sentence of 12 years imprisonment and five years of supervised release. He was serving this sentence in Miami when the current offense occurred.
The case details reveal that on December 21, 2022, a cooperating witness communicated with Santana Amador regarding narcotics supply. Santana Amador identified Patrone Gonzalez as his supplier during these conversations. Using an illicit phone while incarcerated, Patrone Gonzalez arranged the sale of one kilogram of fentanyl to the witness.
On December 29, 2022, Santana Amador delivered the fentanyl on partial credit and received subsequent payments through early 2023. The contraband phone used by Patrone Gonzalez was later discovered in his cell.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah Foley; Kimberly Milka from the FBI's Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police. They acknowledged assistance from several local law enforcement agencies and highlighted that Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Samuel Feldman are handling prosecution duties.
This case forms part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the U.S.
All details contained within charging documents remain allegations until proven beyond reasonable doubt in court.
