Michael Querceto Sentenced
THIRD PERSON SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON IN PAWTUCKET DRUG TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY
PROVIDENCE – A third person indicted by a federal grand jury for their participation in a conspiracy to traffic heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Michael Querceto, 34, was sentenced to 72 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. Querceto pleaded guilty on December 7, 2018, to four counts of distribution of heroin, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 17, 2018, co-defendant Brandon Querceto, 31, was sentenced to 72 months in prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2018, to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
On September 11, 2018, co-defendant Jacqueline Caraballo, 45, was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. On June 8, 2018, Caraballo pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, five counts of distribution of heroin, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In September 2017, Pawtucket Police received information that an individual in Pawtucket was arranging sales of heroin via a cell telephone. Pawtucket Police linked the phone to Michael Querceto. Over the next several weeks, a Pawtucket Police Department undercover officer called Querceto several times to arrange for purchases of heroin.
On four occasions, Caraballo delivered heroin to the officer. On one occasion both Caraballo and Michael Querceto together delivered heroin to the officer. On all but one occasion, the undercover officer contacted Michael Querceto to arrange the deliveries.
On October 11, 2017, a court-authorized search of the Pawtucket residence the three defendants shared resulted in the seizure of more than five grams of heroin and nearly 60 grams of crack cocaine packaged for delivery were seized from Brandon Querceto’s bedroom. Additionally, from other locations within the residence, law enforcement seized various amounts of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, steroids and fentanyl, $6,796 in cash, and a handgun.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department, with the assistance of the ATF.