A guilty plea was entered by a Braintree man charged with a fentanyl conspiracy charge.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that an investigation began in 2019 that identified 32-year-old Jonathan Melendez Decatro, a/k/a “Jacha,” as the leader of a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking organization operating in the Brockton area, who sourced drugs directly from Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Packages intended for Melendez Decatro were intercepted by law enforcement on two separate occasions in 2021 and each found to contain a kilogram of cocaine.
There were several dates in the spring of 2023, Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual who resided in the Dominican Republic to distribute in total 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl to another individual in Braintree.
A search of Melendez Decatro’s residence was conducted and over $10,000 in drug proceeds and clothing worn during the fentanyl transactions were recovered.
Melendez Decatro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and as a result of a plea agreement filed in court, Melendez Decatro will face a sentence of 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 12.