Lawrence Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday for selling fentanyl to an undercover officer.

Jonathan Marquez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 33 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. In January 2020, Marquez pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl. Marquez was arrested in September 2019 and has been detained since October 2019.

In September 2019, an undercover officer placed an order with a fentanyl dealer, and Marquez then met the undercover officer at an arranged location in Lawrence. Marquez handed the officer 11 individually-wrapped bags containing brownish powder in exchange for cash.  Laboratory results later determined that the brownish powder contained fentanyl.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.