Rhode Island man pleads guilty in multi-state fentanyl trafficking conspiracy

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Boston federal court to participating in a fentanyl trafficking organization that manufactured and distributed thousands of fentanyl pills to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts, Jasdrual “Josh” Perez, 36, pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment of conspiracy to distribute and possessession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Investigators began their investigation into Perez’s Providence-based organization in 2019, which was known to produce large quantities of fentanyl pills manufactured to look like pharmaceutical grade oxycodone/Percocet pills and distribute them across multiple states.

Perez used encrypted applications WhatsApp and FaceTime during his trafficking activities and personally participated in the trafficking itself, as well as the pressing of fentanyl powder into pills.

Perez’s manufacturing site was searched in February of 2022 and authorities seized two industrial grade pill presses, 20 kilograms of powdered fentanyl and pressed fentanyl pills, kilograms of pill binder used in the large-scale manufacturing and $62,000.

Perez is scheduled for sentencing on November 12, 2024.