Crime & Safety
13 Charged In Worcester Drug Trafficking Ring
The drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana, according to officials.
WORCESTER, MA — More than a dozen people have been charged for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that operated in Central Massachusetts.
A total of 13 individuals are facing charges for their roles in the drug ring operating in Worcester and Puerto Rico that distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts.
Jack Saez Jr., 34, of Dayville, CT, was the leader of the drug trafficking organization, according to charging documents. The ring was receiving packages through the mail containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to be distributed in the state, officials said.
Over the course of the investigation, more than 10 kilograms of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in Worcester County were seized. Officials said the organization also was accused of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
After searching multiple stash houses and residences in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, investigators seized eight firearms along with distribution quantities of other drugs, the USAO said.
Another dozen people were charged in connection with the organization, including three Worcester residents: 48-year-old Sheldon Herring, 55-year-old Duamel Ocasio, and 57-year-old Anthony Hines, according to the USAO.
A Connecticut resident, Dayanara Mendez; an East Brookfield resident, Stephen Bandilla III; and a Webster resident, Justin Gilchrest were also charged; as well as five individuals residing in Puerto Rico were charged, including Christopher Rivera Rodriguez, Jan Carlos Martinez Mendez, Shaquille De Jesus Torres, Alondra Daleishka Cruz Mendoza, Ushuuaniliz Hernandez Rios, and one person living in the Dominican Republic, Gerardo Villegas Rodriguez, the USAO said.
Those charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
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