Cranston man pleads guilty to tafficking heroin, cocaine

The Cranston Herald ·

Michael Bermudez, a/k/a Michael J. Morales, 35, of Cranston, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl and trafficking cocaine, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA.

Appearing before U.S. District Court John J. McConnell Jr., Bermudez pleaded guilty as charged in a federal indictment to one count each of possession of 100 grams or more of heroin with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, on Oct. 6, 2016, Cranston Police Department detectives, with the assistance of agents from the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, executed a court -authorized search of Bermudez’s residence. The search resulted in the seizure of nearly 140 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl packed into approximately 6,600 packets, and approximately 153 grams of cocaine. The search warrant was authorized by the court during an investigation into Bermudez’s drug trafficking activities, which included multiple controlled purchases of heroin from Bermudez.

United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “This criminal conduct of this defendant, and others like him, is what is causing our opioid public health crisis. Fentanyl is a killer, plain and simple. Every one of those 6,600 fentanyl-laced heroin packets was a potential fatal dose. Fortunately, they were intercepted before they reached unsuspecting heroin users.  Cases like this won’t end our opioid overdose crisis, because prevention and treatment are also critically necessary. But they are a vital part of the solution, and thus need to be among our highest law enforcement priorities.”

According to court records, Bermudez was convicted in U.S. District Court in 2009 on fraud charges. At the time of his arrest in this matter, Bermudez was on state probation, having been convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2015 on drug trafficking charges.

Bermudez, who has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on Oct. 6, 2016 is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., on April 12, 2017.

Possession of 100 grams or more of heroin with the intent to distribute is punishable by statutory penalties of 40 years imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of five years imprisonment; a fine of up to $5 million; and a term of supervised release of up to life. Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment; a fine of $1,000,000; a term of supervised release of up to life, with a mandatory term of three years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly Jr.