Woonsocket Radio News Room

Cranston Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years at the ACI on Multiple Drug Distribution Charges

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Cranston man was sentenced yesterday in Providence County Superior Court to serve 10 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), stemming from a 2015 wiretap investigation into a large-scale drug distribution network in which 27 individuals were charged.

 

Pablo Gonzalez de Leon (age 52), of Cranston, pleaded nolo contendere to one count of delivery of over one kilogram of cocaine, one count of possession of one ounce to one kilogram of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, one count of delivery of fentanyl and oxycodone, one count of conspiracy to possess over one kilogram of cocaine, and seven counts of conspiracy to deliver cocaine.

 

At yesterday’s hearing, Providence County Superior Court Justice Joseph A. Montalbano sentenced Gonzalez de Leon to 25 years at the ACI with 10 years to serve and the balance of the sentence suspended with probation.

 

“It is a priority of this Office to target significant drug distribution networks operating in Rhode Island,” said Attorney General Neronha. “These large-scale operations, typically with national and international links, drive the use of illegal drugs that is killing Rhode Islanders and damaging our communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in going after major drug dealers like the defendant here. I am grateful to the team of law enforcement agencies, led by the State Police HIDTA, who did such outstanding work in connection with this case.”

 

Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that between October 2015 and January 2016, Gonzalez de Leon was a key figure in a large-scale drug distribution network in Rhode Island as the main supplier of cocaine.

 

During that time, Gonzalez de Leon and Juan Rivera were the two main targets of a wiretap investigation led by the Rhode Island State Police (RISP) into significant heroin and cocaine distribution throughout the state.

 

Gonzalez de Leon and 26 other co-defendants were arrested in January 2016 by members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

During the arrests, law enforcement seized over a kilogram of cocaine, as well as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamines, and oxycodone.

 

Rivera pleaded nolo contendere in Providence Superior Court on November 17, 2016 and was sentenced to 30 years at the ACI with 15 years to serve and the balance suspended with probation.

 

Corporal Luke Schatz of the RISP led the investigation into the case. Assistant Attorneys General Joseph McBurney and Peter Roklan prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General.

Only a small number of college students have actually participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. That's according to a Generation Lab survey reported by Axios. More than eight-in-ten say that protesters that vandalize property or illegally occupy campus buildings should be held responsible by their schools. Still, more students, nearly half, support the protests, with the rest mostly neutral or somewhat opposed.       Former President Trump's classified documents case in Florida has been indefinitely postponed. The trial was to start in late May, but now will probably be delayed until after the election. Meanwhile, Trump's hush money trial in New York is in recess until tomorrow. As he exited the courthouse yesterday, the former president said the prosecution's case is "totally falling apart."       A state of emergency has been declared for several counties in Michigan due to the severe storms that produced at least two confirmed tornadoes and possibly four twisters. Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement on X. There was also four-inch hail falling in the storms that left significant damage to buildings and roads, but thankfully did not result in any deaths.        Robert F. Kennedy Junior says a worm ate part of his brain and died inside his head more than a decade ago. The New York Times reports the Independent presidential candidate revealed the worm problem during his 2012 divorce proceedings, noting he had begun to experience cognitive issues and memory loss. Kennedy thought he might have a brain tumor but it turned out to be a dead parasite inside his head.        People grieving the loss of a loved one are increasingly turning to AI to assist in the grieving process. SnapChat, Replika, ElevenLabs, HereAfter are just some of the companies that allow users to create avatars of deceased loved ones. Generative AI tools, which use algorithms to create new text, video, audio and code, can try to answer questions the way someone who died might have.        Popstar Taylor Swift's famous feud with music mogul Scooter Braun will be getting its very own docuseries. Discovery-Plus announced Tuesday that its series "vs" will take a deep dive into the infamous battle. Titled "Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood," the two hour-long episodes will explore how Braun acquired the rights to the singer's first six albums in 2019 to Swift's "Taylor's Version" re-recording projects.        

Old News Archives