Fitchburg Man Convicted Of Distributing Crack Cocaine

BOSTON - A Fitchburg man was convicted Friday in U.S. District Court in Worcester for distributing crack cocaine.

Hector Rodriguez, Jr. a/k/a Bolo, 32, was convicted by a jury of three counts of distributing cocaine base. Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2013. Rodriguez faces up to life in prison, to be followed by at least eight years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.

During the five-day trial evidence showed that Rodriguez distributed crack cocaine on Oct. 26, Nov. 2, and Nov. 16, 2011. In January 2012, Rodriguez was arrested as part of Operation Red Wolf, a multi-agency investigation targeting gang members involved in drug dealing and firearms distribution in the Fitchburg area.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Guy Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Fitchburg Police Chief Robert A. DeMoura; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cory Flashner and Mark Grady of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.