A federal grand jury has indicted Miguel Gonzalez Duarte, a 37-year-old Dominican national living unlawfully in Worcester, on multiple charges related to the distribution of fentanyl. According to federal prosecutors, Gonzalez Duarte faces one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; two counts involving 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count involving 400 grams or more.
Gonzalez Duarte was arrested on October 29, 2025, following a criminal complaint and remains in federal custody. Authorities allege that on August 21, 2025, he distributed approximately 191 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and xylazine—totaling about 21.9 grams—in a store parking lot on Main Street in Worcester. On September 3, he allegedly distributed about 482 similar pills weighing roughly 54.9 grams at the same location. Another incident on September 24 involved the alleged distribution of approximately 2,000 suspected fentanyl pills weighing around 226 grams.
Prosecutors further claim that on October 15, Gonzalez Duarte distributed about 20,000 suspected fentanyl pills in a restaurant parking lot in Worcester. Law enforcement officers say that after this transaction, Gonzalez Duarte dropped the bag of pills and attempted to flee before being apprehended.
At the time of these alleged offenses, Gonzalez Duarte was serving probation for an April 2025 conviction for possession with intent to distribute Class A and B drugs in Worcester District Court.
The charges carry significant penalties: up to twenty years in prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; five to forty years for each charge involving forty grams or more; and ten years to life for distributing four hundred grams or more. Fines range from $1 million up to $10 million depending on the charge. The defendant also faces deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentencing decisions are made by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement." "Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan O’Shea and Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting the case."
"The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
