Fentanyl trafficker sentenced to seven years in federal prison

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Massachusetts man convicted of delivering large amounts of fentanyl-laced pills in Pawtucket and Dorchester, Mass. has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Roberto Anibal Nieves Zayas, 38, of Lawrence, Mass., pleaded guilty on January 20, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl with intent to distribute.

Nieves Zayas was sentenced on April 4 to the seven year sentence to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

The DEA Rhode Island Drug Task Force arranged for large amounts of fentanyl-laced pills in April and May of 2021.

Nieves Zayas delivered 1,000 pills for $5,000 cash in a Pawtucket restaurant parking lot.

The delivery was observed by task force members who quickly seized the drugs while other agents followed the delivery vehicle to an apartment building in Lawrence, Mass.

The DEA then arranged a purchase of 25,000 fentanyl pills for $125,00, which occurred two days later inside a passenger van in Dorchester, Mass.

Agents arrived and seized a large plastic garbage bag of 3.4 kilograms of fentanyl pills and arrested Nieves Zayas and a co-defendant.