West Warwick man admits to trafficking thousands of fentanyl pills

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha has announced that 28-year old Richard Delsanto of West Warwick set up a scheme to sell thousands of counterfeit OxyContin pills containing fentanyl to an undercover member of the RI DEA Task Force, and has pled guilty to fentanyl trafficking charges.

According to charging documents, in April and May, an undercover Newport Police Department detective assigned to the DEA Drug Task Force began texting Delsanto for the purchase of 1,000 counterfeit OxyContin pills that contain fentanyl. Delsanto delivered the pills May 4 for $5,000. Nine days later, the detective arranged a second delivery. Once Delsanto arrived, the DEA Drug Task Force stopped his vehicle, and seized 3,000 pills. an additional 700 were seized from his residence during a court-authorized search.

Delsanto is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16. Distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by 40 years in federal prison, with a minimum of 5 years imprisonment, and federal supervised release for 4 years. Possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable with life in prison, with a minimum of 10 years imprisonment, and 5 years of federal supervised release. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.