At the time of the offense, the defendant was on supervised release after being granted compassionate release in 2020
BOSTON — A Stoughton man was sentenced Sept. 5 in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl trafficking conspiracy was uncovered by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). 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 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 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 and 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, HSI and USPIS special agents observed Morales leaving an apartment in Mattapan before travelling to multiple post offices and FedEx facilities. When HSI special agents searched the apartment, they found 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. In addition, HSI special agents also found fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine at the apartment.
Morales is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in the case. On Jan. 31, Ogando was sentenced to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In June, 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.
The case was investigated by HSI New England’s Boston Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) and the USPIS Boston Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The primary mission of HSI’s BEST task forces is to combat transnational criminal organizations by employing federal, state, local, tribal and international law enforcement authorities and resources to identify, investigate, disrupt and dismantle these organizations at every level of operation. BESTs eliminate the barriers between federal and local investigations and close the gap with international partners in multinational criminal investigations.
BESTs serve as an important tool to combat transnational criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking, human smuggling, weapons trafficking and money laundering. There are over 90 BESTs throughout the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.