Press Release  Lawrence Man Sentenced to Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking

BOSTON — Following an investigation by the Attorney General’s New England Fentanyl Strike Force in collaboration with federal agencies, a Lawrence man has been sentenced to serve five to six years in state prison in connection with trafficking three kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Jhonathan Guerrero-Tejada, 36, pleaded guilty on Friday in Essex Superior Court to the charges of Trafficking in 18 Grams or More of Heroin (1 count), Trafficking in 10 Grams or More of Fentanyl (1 count), Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm (1 count), and Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition (1 count). After the plea was entered, Judge James Lang sentenced Guerrero-Tejada to five to six years in state prison for the drug charges, followed by two years of probation for the firearm charges.

Authorities arrested Guerrero-Tejada in August 2017 in Lawrence as part of a joint investigation conducted by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET) North and the AG’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

“As we face a record number of deaths in Massachusetts attributed to opioids, the work of our Fentanyl Strike Force in collaboration with our federal partners is critical in getting deadly drugs off our streets,” AG Healey said. “We will continue to tackle this crisis from all sides, including dismantling dangerous drug distribution networks and prosecuting traffickers.”

Guerrero-Tejada was arrested after authorities observed him completing a prearranged sale of three kilograms of heroin and fentanyl. During the execution of a search warrant at Guerrero-Tejada’s Lawrence residence, authorities uncovered a semi-automatic handgun and two magazines containing several rounds of ammunition.

AG Healey’s Office has prioritized combatting the opioid crisis and has been working closely with federal, state, and local partners to fight illegal drug trafficking throughout New England. The AG’s Fentanyl Strike Force was created in 2016 using a $1 million grant from the US Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Heroin Task Force, and has been strengthened with a nearly $3 million COPS grant in 2018 and another $2.6 million in 2019 to build on law enforcement work to disrupt drug trafficking in the region.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Cesar Vega, of AG Healey’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division with assistance from State Police assigned to the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET) North and the AG’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

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