Providence Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who arranged for more than a half-dozen substantial-sized deliveries of fentanyl to another person has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Hector Diaz, 30, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and to a charge of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.

According to information presented to the court, on at least seven occasions beginning in late November 2021, Diaz either personally delivered fentanyl to an individual known to the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force or arranged for another person to deliver fentanyl at his behest to that same person. Deliveries of fentanyl ranged from 25.03 grams to 99.08 grams. Each delivery of fentanyl was monitored by members of the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force and the drugs were quickly seized by a member of law enforcement.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.

The FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Central Falls Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.

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