An Austin, Texas woman living in Massachusetts has been sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for her involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced that Patricia Parker, 74, received a sentence of two years’ probation with nine months of home confinement. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose imposed the sentence on November 25, 2025.
Parker pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of more than 310 grams of fentanyl, which authorities say is equivalent to 150,000 lethal doses.
According to information presented during the proceedings, Parker was involved in drug trafficking over an extended period. The investigation began in May 2022 when she sold counterfeit amphetamine pills containing fentanyl to an undercover agent from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Nearly ten months after the undercover operation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Parker’s residence. There they found more than 18,000 pills—including Schedule II and IV controlled substances not approved by the FDA—and additional counterfeit amphetamine pills containing fentanyl. Investigators also reviewed records indicating that Parker had distributed over one thousand parcels suspected to contain illegal drugs.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., and investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations along with the US Postal Inspection Service.
"The matter was investigated by Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations and US Postal Inspection Service," according to Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
