Headline Surfer photo illustration / TOP: The US Government case against Orlando Rosa Rodriguez, 59, of Orlando (no pic available), resulted in his sentencing on Wednesday, May 28, in US District Court in Orlando, Florida, to five years and 10 months in federal prison. Three others also received prison sentences for their roles in the so-called 'fenta-pills' conspiracy.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. – A federal judge has sentenced an Orlando man to 5 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl & money laundering through his job as a US postal Service worker.
U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton on Wednesday sentenced Orlando Rosa Rodriguez, who worked for the US Postal Service, to nearly 70 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and money laundering.
The court also ordered Rosa Rodriguez, 59, to forfeit two vehicles, both of which were traceable proceeds of the offense. Rosa Rodriguez pleaded guilty in federal court on Feb. 24.
According to court documents, co-defendants Jayson Perez-Quinones, 48, of Orlando, and Jovan Rivera Rodriguez, 36, of Kissimmee, arranged to receive shipments of thousands of pills that were pressed to look like pharmaceuticals but contained fentanyl (so-called “fenta-pills”).
At their home in Orlando, Perez-Quinones and co-defendant Karen AltaGracia Perez, 44, of Orlando, packaged those pills into individual pill bags for street delivery.
Perez-Quinones and Perez then distributed those bags to mid-level distributors such as Rosa Rodriguez for resale. Rosa Rodriguez distributed those pills to customers, including in the parking lot of his workplace at the U.S. Postal Service.
Orlando Rosa Rodriguez earned over $300,000 in one 20-month period in addition to his salary from the U.S. Postal Service and VA disability benefits. He used those proceeds to purchase sports cars, including a Corvette worth approximately $80,000, a Porsche 911 Carrera Coup worth roughly $92,000, and a Porsche 718 Cayman Coup worth approximately $120,000.
Orlando Rosa Rodriguez earned over $300,000 in one 20-month period in addition to his salary from the U.S. Postal Service and VA disability benefits. He used those proceeds to purchase sports cars, including a Corvette worth approximately $80,000, a Porsche 911 Carrera Coup worth roughly $92,000, and a Porsche 718 Cayman Coup worth approximately $120,000.
On June 13, 2023, AltaGracia Perez was sentenced to five years and six months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. On August 8, 2023, Perez-Quinones and Rivera Rodriguez were sentenced to 15 years’ and 5 years’ imprisonment for their roles in the conspiracy.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation investigated this case, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill prosecuted it.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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