Bean Town Times

A Stoughton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. The defendant was on federal supervised release at the time that he committed the offenses, after being granted compassionate release in 2020.

Angel Morales, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In April 2024, Morales pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In December 2022, Morales was indicted along with co-conspirators Quenty Ogando, Erika Prado, and Rahelin Reynoso.

Between September 2022 and November 2022, Morales was involved in a scheme involving a large-scale pill press operation that manufactured, sold, and mailed counterfeit pills, including pills containing fentanyl among other drugs. Morales’ role in the operation was to ship packages from post offices across Massachusetts. On multiple occasions, Morales used various post offices and FedEx facilities in Boston, Randolph, Holbrook, Quincy, Mattapan, Braintree, Milton and elsewhere to mail over 150 packages knowing that some of the packages contained controlled substances. On at least two occasions, FedEx employees opened packages pursuant to their internal procedures and observed clear plastic sandwich bags filled with pills with markings consistent with prescription-only medication that later tested positive for fentanyl.

On multiple occasions in October and November 2022 Morales was observed leaving an apartment in Mattapan before traveling to multiple post offices and FedEx facilities. During a subsequent search of that apartment over 20 kilograms of pills in various colors (a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl), over 20 kilograms of loose powder (a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl), numerous packages and mailing labels, electronic devices cash and three industrial-grade pill presses were recovered. In addition fentanyl heroin cocaine and methamphetamine were also found at the apartment.

Morales is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in the case. On Jan. 31, 2024 Ogando was sentenced to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In June 2024 Reynoso was sentenced to six years in prison and two years of supervised release. In April 2024 Prado was sentenced to time served with one year of supervised release.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ketty Larco-Ward Inspector in Charge of the U.S Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; United States Customs and Border Protection; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S Food And Drug Administration Assistant U.S Attorneys J Mackenzie Duane Jennifer Zacks Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted case