Man sentenced to 60 months jail for role in Cumberland drug operation

CUMBERLAND — A Providence man who conspired with the town-based leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy that imported hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine from the Dominican Republic has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, federal prosecutors say.

Audi E. “Boku” Diaz, 29, previously admitted to the court that he worked closely with Ramon Delossantos of Cumberland to prepare and distribute multi-kilogram shipments of fentanyl and cocaine to mid-level distributors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

As the result of a DEA and Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigation during the summer and fall of 2017 dubbed “Operation Panamera,” more than two-dozen people were arrested and at least 23 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 11 kilograms of cocaine, 11 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms were seized.

Delossantos was identified by law enforcement as the leader of the drug trafficking organization. He arranged for the shipment of fentanyl and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and oversaw the distribution of the drugs to mid-level distributors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

According to information presented to the court by federal prosecutors, between Aug. 10 and Sep. 30, 2017, approximately 470 communications between Diaz and Delossantos were electronically intercepted by law enforcement. The conversations ranged in topic from Diaz arranging for numerous multi-kilogram purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Delossantos for distribution to others, to Diaz borrowing equipment from Delossantos to prepare kilogram “bricks” of fentanyl and cocaine for delivery, to discussions between Delossantos and Diaz that Diaz take over Delossantos’ drug trafficking business either temporarily while Delossantos traveled outside of the country or on a permanent basis.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Diaz to 60 months in federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release of 3 years, according to Jim Martin, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.

Diaz, arrested and ordered detained on Oct. 30, 2017, pleaded guilty on Jan. 14 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy with the intent to distribute cocaine.

Delossantos has been detained in federal custody since hew as arrested on Oct. 2, 2017. He pleaded guilty in June 2018 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy with the intent to distribute cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced by McConnell on June 14.

Diaz’s sentencing was announced Monday by Weisman; Brian D. Boyle, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; and State Police Supt. Col. James M. Manni. Federal prosecutors Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Milind M. Shah argued the case for the U.S. Attorney’s office.