A Dominican national, Juan Carlos Nunez Rodriguez, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and defrauding the government. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Nunez Rodriguez, 51, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges including possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, theft of government property, and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy handed down the sentence, which includes one year of supervised release following his prison term and restitution payments totaling $66,112 to the IRS. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against him.
The case stems from a two-month investigation into Nunez Rodriguez’s activities that culminated in September 2023 when Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force members executed a search warrant at his Providence apartment. They seized 613 grams of fentanyl, equating to approximately 306,500 lethal doses according to DEA analysis.
Additionally, agents discovered United States Treasury checks addressed to various individuals and over three dozen fraudulent federal tax returns intended for the IRS. Stolen personal identifying information belonging to 976 individuals was also found.
Further investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation revealed that Nunez Rodriguez filed at least 15 fraudulent tax returns and possessed 43 refund checks ranging from $1,400 to $1,800 each.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly Jr. prosecuted the case. The investigation involved collaboration between the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation.
