Pawtucket man sentenced for role in nationwide drug trafficking operation

BOSTON (WLNE) — A Pawtucket man was sentenced in Boston Federal Court for his role in a nationwide conspiracy to traffic drugs from Arizona into Massachusetts.

According to court documents, 38-year-old Nathan Boddie was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. Boddie pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances back in May.

Boddie was indicted back in February along with two other co-conspirators, Denise Guyette and Gerardo Garza.

Officials said around the time of April 2022, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization led by Guyette. Boddie conspired with Garza and others to traffic substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere.

It is further alleged that the trafficking operation routinely used mail services to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs in packages containing children’s items like toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items.

Between May and October, 2022, authorities said they seized seven packages containing over 900 grams of methamphetamines, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl as well as suspected  Dimethyltryptamine, a very strong psychedelic.

One package was addressed directly to Boddie and contained over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine.

On Feb. 6., 2023, Boddie was arrested in Rhode Island after a traffic stop. During the stop police said they found a 9mm ghost gun loaded with five bullets, an empty 9mm magazine and a 10-round-capable magazine with one bullet inside.

Additionally, police said Boddie tried swallowing a plastic bag with 20 grams of methamphetamine inside it during the search.

A search of Boddie’s home later led to the discovery of two ghost guns, a 3D printer used to print ghost gun parts, 120 grams of methamphetamine as well as 10 different driver’s licenses, each with Boddie’s photo but names and addresses of other people.

In total, authorities seized over 16lbs of meth and more than 700 grams of counterfeit prescription pulls containing fentanyl.

Back in August, Garza pleaded guilty to a indictment charging him and Guyette with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Guyette has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.