A Rhode Island man, previously convicted twice for drug trafficking, has admitted to a federal judge that he arranged for cocaine shipments from Columbia to Rhode Island while on federal supervised release. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the plea.
Levys Tovar, 43, formerly employed by United Parcel Service (UPS), used his position to attempt intercepting a package containing cocaine before it was delivered to a fictitious address in Central Falls. Tovar tracked this package from his home approximately 41 times. However, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol had already intercepted it, discovering over 200 grams of cocaine hidden inside machinery.
Further investigations revealed Tovar had other packages sent from Columbia to various addresses in Rhode Island. One intercepted package contained about 850 grams of cocaine, while another held just over 300 grams concealed within an old television set.
Court records show that Tovar arranged for more than two kilograms of cocaine to be shipped to him. He pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as charged by indictment in February 2023. His sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2025. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Tovar’s previous convictions include possession with intent to distribute one kilogram of heroin in 2004 and attempting to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin in 2011.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson is prosecuting the current case with assistance from Christine D. Lowell. The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations’ Northeast Corridor Border Enforcement Team; Custom and Border Protection; and police departments from Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Warwick.
