Prison For Manasquan Man Who Led Monmouth Co. Fentanyl Ring

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Manasquan man was sentenced to 188 months in prison for conspiring to sell cocaine and fentanyl analogue, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced Friday.

Richard Dobin, 30, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute/possess with intent to distribute pills containing cyclopropyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl.
He also pleaded guilty to count of conspiracy to distribute/possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Federal prosecutors say that from February through August 2017, Dobin led a drug-trafficking organization based in Monmouth County, which sold cocaine and fentanyl analogue pills throughout Monmouth County and via the Dark Web, the Internet’s black market.

At the time of his arrest, Dobin was attempting to expand his operation by manufacturing his own pills using pill press machines and raw powders at his stash house located in Middletown. Police did not say exactly where in Middletown.

Dobin ordered both cocaine and fentanyl analogue on the Dark Web before reselling the drugs in smaller quantities, said the feds.

During searches of the stash house and a vehicle used by Dobin’s organization, law enforcement seized more than nine kilograms of fentanyl pills and nearly five kilograms of cocaine.

The fentanyl analogue pills contained a powerful synthetic opioid with significant abuse potential.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Dobin to four years of supervised release.

The court previously ordered the forfeiture of certain cryptocurrency holdings belonging to Dobin, which Dobin had surrendered to law enforcement.