Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man who admitted to selling significant quantities of fentanyl on the streets of Pawtucket, his fourth conviction on drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to seven years in federal prison.

Jessie Yanez, 34, was arrested by members of the Cranston Police Department on November 16, 2019, following an investigation by members of the Pawtucket Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. The investigation included four controlled purchases of varying amounts of fentanyl and cocaine from Yanez.

According to information presented to the court, Yanez sold an individual 3.5 grams of fentanyl for $240 on October 28, 2019, 20 grams of fentanyl for $1,800 on November 1, 2019, 50 grams of fentanyl for $2,750 on November 6, 2019, and 50 grams of cocaine for $1,900 on November 14, 2019.

Yanez, who has been detained since his arrest, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to two counts of distribution of less than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and one count of distribution of less than 500 grams of cocaine.

Today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Yanez to 84 months incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Stacey P. Veroni and Gerard B. Sullivan.

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