Seven face federal charges involving fentanyl distribution ring in Manchester | Crime

The seven are named in indictments unsealed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire.

The seven conspired to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl from January 2018 to February 2019, according to the indictments. Trafficking crimes involving more than 400 grams of fentanyl carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison.

Among the seven are Billy Damuel Maldonado Cancel, who was 24 in November 2017 when he went on trial for the shooting of Jonathan Vazquez-Ojeda in a center city neighborhood in September 2016. A jury cleared him of the homicide charge and he walked out of court a free man.

He now faces five charges: four charges of selling fentanyl as well as the conspiracy charge.

Lucas “Flaco” Rios faces the largest single number of charges — 13 — which include nine charges of fentanyl sales and three charges involving use of a phone to commit a crime and the conspiracy charge.

The 14-page indictment lays out 21 counts, most of them alleging fentanyl distribution.

The prosecutor overseeing the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis, said the investigation involved the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police and Manchester police. He said the alleged crimes occurred in the greater Manchester area.

Individual sales took place from Jan. 11, 2018 to Dec. 14, 2018.

The other five are identified as:

• Israel Perez. He faces nine charges of distribution of fentanyl, often with Rios.
• Jose “Ardilla” “Squirrel” Hiram Martinez Rolon. He faces a single distribution charge and the conspiracy charge.
• Abelino Morales-Padilla. He faces the conspiracy charge and a single distribution charge.
• Samuel Ramos, conspiracy and two distribution charges.
• Karina Reyes, conspiracy, a single distribution charge and two charges of using a phone in commission of a crime.

Last year, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was funding an additional prosecutor in New Hampshire as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, and that federal prosecutors would handle all fentanyl trafficking prosecutions out of Hillsborough County.

Davis said this round of arrests is not part of Operation SOS. Most of the seven have appeared before a federal judge already, and most have been ordered jailed before trial.