A Dominican national residing unlawfully in Lawrence, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to three years in prison for heroin distribution. Ranyel Reyes, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani and will face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence. Reyes was initially arrested in October 2014 and charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin.
In 2014, Reyes sold or facilitated the sale of heroin on three occasions to a confidential source while on probation for a previous cocaine possession conviction. He sold 74.6 grams of heroin that year.
After his arrest, Reyes was released on bond but later absconded from pretrial supervision just days before his scheduled sentencing in December 2015. He removed his location monitoring equipment and lived under the alias “Eric Yavier Rivera Velasquez” until he was apprehended in March 2025.
Reyes’ criminal history includes an arrest for assault and battery and convictions for cocaine distribution and shoplifting.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. The U.S. Marshals Service provided assistance, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna prosecuted the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations.
