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Press Release

Woonsocket Man Convicted Three Times for Drug Trafficking is Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI – A Woonsocket man convicted and sentenced twice previously in Rhode Island state court for trafficking narcotics was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison for trafficking significant quantities of fentanyl and for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, announced  United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Gregory Ortega, 34, of Woonsocket, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 96 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. Ortega pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.

As reflected in court documents, shortly after completing a term of incarceration at the Adult Correctional Institution in 2019, Ortega continued to operate a well-orchestrated narcotics business in the Woonsocket area. He stored drugs in various family members’ residences and used runners to deliver drugs he sold to his customers. Ortega’s trafficking activities included several thousand dollars’ worth of fentanyl to a person assisting the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in the investigation.

According to information presented to the court, on March 16, 2022, members of the Safe Streets Task Force executed court-authorized searches and seized approximately 575 grams of fentanyl from Ortega’s vehicle and 745 grams of fentanyl from his grandmother’s house, which he used as a “stash house.” Additionally, law enforcement seized a privately made firearm and 14 rounds of ammunition from Ortega’s residence.

This Project Safe Neighborhoods case was investigated by the Rhode Island FBI Safe Street Task Force, which consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Stacey A. Erickson.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

 

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Updated July 30, 2024

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Press Release Number: 24-91