Feds Indict Natick Man For Fentanyl, Methamphetamine Trafficking

NATICK, MA — A federal grand jury has indicted a Natick man for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. Rafael Ashworth, 27, was arrested in mid-November after a woman overdosed and died at his Morse Street apartment.

Ashworth — who was also arrested in Dedham in October 2018 on drug charges — was indicted on Dec. 18 for one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

According to federal court documents:

On Nov. 17, Natick police went to Ashworth's apartment after a Suffolk University student was reported missing after not being seen for four years. The student, identified in court documents as "N.F.", was dating Ashworth.

Police found Ashworth in the apartment, and he told them he hadn't seen N.F. in several weeks. Police and firefighters returned later in the day to conduct a deeper search of the apartment. They found Ashworth standing over a sink and rambling. An officer found the missing Suffolk student in a bedroom of the apartment.

"The officer pointed the flashlight into Ashworth's bedroom where he could see a woman’s body lying on top of the bed. The woman was later identified as N.F. Natick firefighters on scene pronounced N.F. dead, and based on the condition of her body, determined that she had been dead for some time," court documents say. The woman likely died of a fentanyl overdose, according to authorities.

After obtaining a search warrant, police found about 100 grams of white powder and a pill press in the roof where N.F. died. The powder later tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to court documents. Police also found Xanax and other drug paraphernalia in the apartment.

Ashworth is facing a sentence of five to 40 years in prison, plus a $5 million fine, according to Boston U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.