Former Methuen Resident Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking

            CONCORD – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Justin Bartimus, 35, formerly of Methuen, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2016 to: (1) conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone and cocaine and (2) distribution of oxycodone.  Bartimus appeared before United States District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to enter his guilty plea.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, Bartimus admitted that he sold oxycodone to a cooperating individual in Haverhill and Methuen, Massachusetts and in Salem, New Hampshire.  He also admitted that he participated in the distribution of cocaine and oxycodone with others individuals.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 30, 2016.  

            Bartimus is one of six individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on September 23, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to distribute, and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.  The other defendants are:  Mara Morillo, 40, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Franklyn Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Juan Rojas, 31, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Jorge Medina, 25, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and Michael Lally, 28, of Salem, New Hampshire.

            In addition to the above charges, Rojas also was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Rojas is further charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in a separate indictment.  Lally pleaded guilty on March 22, 2016.  His sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2016.  The remaining defendants in the drug conspiracy case are scheduled for trial on September 20, 2016.

           This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.   The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation with assistance from the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department.   It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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