Holyoke Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution

Holyoke Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C.

BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl.

Carlos Morales, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Feb. 17, 2022, Morales pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Morales distributed over 106,000 bags of fentanyl, for a total weight of over 1.7 kilograms. This is believed to be one of the largest amounts of fentanyl packaged for delivery ever seized in Western Massachusetts.

United States Attorney Rachel S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.