Bronx Man Arrested for Fentanyl Distribution

BOSTON – A Bronx man has been arrested for travelling to the Worcester area to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. 

Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 30, of Bronx, N.Y., was charged with one count of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Genao was arrested on Dec. 8, 2022 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson, was detained pending a hearing set for Dec. 20, 2022. 

According to the charging document, Genao travelled from New York to the Worcester area to deliver approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Genao was arrested on site and the kilogram of fentanyl was seized by law enforcement. 

The charge of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised released, and a fine of up to $1 million.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the FBI with its law enforcement partners including members of the OCDETF Strike Force and Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Easthampton Police Department and the Hampden and Berkshire County Sheriff's Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Mazur and Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Unit are prosecuting the case. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.