Lieutenant in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Operation Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Prison

Lieutenant in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Operation Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Prison

CONCORD - A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for his key role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Flemin Soto Baez, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 50 months in federal prison. In May, Soto Baez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely cocaine and fentanyl. He was charged along with 20 other defendants in April 2023. To date, 15 defendants involved in the conspiracy have been convicted, including the defendant's brother and leader of the organization, Juan Ramon Soto Baez, who was sentenced to more than 8 years in federal prison.

"This defendant perpetuated a drug trafficking operation that pushes deadly narcotics," said U.S. Attorney Creegan. "They profited from addiction and suffering. Today's sentence demonstrates that every member of these organizations will be held accountable for the damage they inflict on New Hampshire families."

"Today's sentence sends a clear message that those who choose to flood our communities with fentanyl and cocaine will be held accountable," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. "Flemin Soto Baez played a significant role in a large-scale trafficking conspiracy that put countless lives at risk. The DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to dismantling these criminal networks and protecting our communities from the devastating impact of dangerous drugs."

"Fentanyl and cocaine have no place in New Hampshire and neither do the drug traffickers who sell it," said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division. "Today's sentence keeps Flemin Soto Baez behind bars for the key role he played in this multi-state drug trafficking operation. Every sale he orchestrated was a potentially deadly transaction, and the FBI and our partners won't stop until all drug trafficking operations like this one have been disrupted."

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was a key organizer in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, particularly Manchester, between July 2022 and March 2023. The organization was run like a business, operating "dispatch" telephone lines where customers could call in to order narcotics. As a trusted member of the conspiracy, the defendant would take customer orders on the phone, and then he would send a runner to conduct the drug sale at an arranged meeting location. In connection with the defendant's arrest in June 2023, law enforcement authorities searched an apartment associated with the defendant and seized more than a kilogram of cocaine from the residence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).