By Tiffany Williams –
At the United States District Court in Boston on June 2, 2023, Manuel E. Tejeda, 42, of Peabody, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Jose Esmerlin Diaz delivered an estimated 13,800 fentanyl pills (weighing approximately 1.6 kilograms) disguised as Percocet 30s to a cooperating source on Jan. 17, 2020, at a price of $6 per pill.
On the same date, Tejeda and another man delivered additional pills, and were found in possession of an estimated 27,000 fentanyl pills (weighing approximately 3.1 kilograms).
A search of a storage unit used by Tejeda in Salem resulted in the discovery of approximately two kilograms of suspected fentanyl and/or heroin, $150,000 in cash and an industrial/commercial grade pill press that could be used to press powder-form opiates into pills.
Keys located on Tejeda at the time of his arrest opened locks to the storage unit.
On May 23, 2023, Diaz was sentenced to 52 months in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.