2 Rhode Island Men Sentenced For Role Trafficking 37 Kilos Of Cocaine From Puerto Rico

CRANSTON, RI — Two Rhode Island men were sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported 37 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into Rhode Island.

Arcadio Torres, 41, of North Smithfield, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, while Nelson Carvalho, 48, of Cranston, received a seven-year sentence.

Torres previously admitted to a federal judge that, as a leader of the drug ring, he worked with family members and co-conspirators to have kilogram cocaine regularly shipped to addresses in Rhode Island via the U.S. Postal Service. He also admitted he tracked the shipments, watched as they were delivered and retrieved by other drug ring members, and coordinated to have the cocaine stored for him.

Carvalho admitted to the court that he provided members of the drug trafficking organization with residential and business addresses in Rhode Island as destinations for U.S. priority mail packages, each containing about one kilogram of cocaine. Carvalho also coordinated arrival dates and retrieval of the packages with co-conspirators, retrieved the packages from locations throughout Rhode Island, including his work address, transported the cocaine to co-conspirators in Rhode Island and performed other functions as needed to for the organization.

Prosecutors said at least 11 of the packages were shipped to Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, where Carvalho worked as a mail courier. According to prosecutors, the packages were addressed to names provided to the drug ring by Carvalho. Carvalho admitted he retrieved the packages from the hospital mail and provided them to other co-conspirators.

Torres pleaded guilty on June 30, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Following his prison sentence, he ust serve four years of supervised release.

Carvalho pleaded guilty on August 1, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He must also serve four years of supervised release after his prison sentence.

Co-conspirators George Mojica, 42, and Angel Delgado, 25, of Central Falls, previously admitted to a federal judge that they participated in the drug rig. Mojica and Delgado were sentenced in May 2022, to serve seven years and five years in federal prison.