Jessie Yanez Guilty Plea

FENTANYL DEALER FACING UP TO EIGHTY YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man who admitted to selling significant quantities of fentanyl on the streets of Pawtucket is facing between five and eighty years in federal prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to drug trafficking charges.

Jessie Yanez, 34, was arrested by members of the Cranston Police Department on November 16, 2019, following an investigation by members of the Pawtucket Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. The investigation included four controlled purchases of varying amounts of fentanyl and cocaine from Yanez.

According to information presented to the court, Yanez sold an individual 3.5 grams of fentanyl for $240 on October 28, 2019, 20 grams of fentanyl for $1,800 on November 1, 2019, 50 grams of fentanyl for $2,750 on November 6, 2019, and 50 grams of cocaine for $1,900 on November 14, 2019.

Yanez, who has been detained since his arrest, appeared today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. and pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of less than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and one count of distribution of less than 500 grams of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.

Yanez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2020.

Distribution of less than 40 grams of fentanyl is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl is punishable by a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release. Distribution of less than 500 grams of cocaine is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Stacey P. Veroni and Gerard B. Sullivan.