Cranston man sentenced for trafficking cocaine

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Friday that a Cranston man had been sentenced to serve five years at the Adult Correctional Institutions after pleading to drug trafficking charges.

Francisco Vazquez Ramos, 39, pled no contest to one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver cocaine on May 18.

Ramos was sentenced to 15 years, with five years to be serves at the ACI followed by a 10-year suspended sentence with 15 years of probation, Neronha said.

The suspect was arrested in April at a traffic stop by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Portsmouth Police Department after he contacted an undercover officer and told him he had purchased a large amount of cocaine for distribution.

He was found to be in possession of 310 grams of cocaine, which was seized by the officers.

Police had previously conducted a controlled buy with the suspect in Portsmouth, which led to a warrant for his arrest.