A Dominican national, Juan Carlos Nunez Rodriguez, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and engaging in identity theft and government fraud. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Nunez Rodriguez, aged 51, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges including possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, theft of government property, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced him to 48 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. He is also required to pay $66,112 in restitution to the IRS.
An immigration detainer has been placed on Nunez Rodriguez by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The case unfolded after a two-month investigation led by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force culminated in September 2023 with a search warrant executed at his Providence apartment. Authorities seized 613 grams of fentanyl—equivalent to approximately 306,500 lethal doses—alongside stolen personal identifying information for nearly a thousand individuals and fraudulent tax documents.
Further investigations by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation revealed that Nunez Rodriguez filed at least 15 fraudulent tax returns and possessed numerous refund checks ranging from $1,400 to $1,800.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly Jr. prosecuted the case following investigations conducted by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation.
