A Providence man admitted to a federal judge that he bought cocaine, transformed it into crack cocaine, and then sold it to others. He will spend six years in federal prison after getting convicted.
Juan Gonzalez, 46, was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in federal prison. He will also serve four years of supervised release after he gets out.
The investigation into Gonzalez began in early 2021. Court-authorized electronic communications were intercepted from several telephones that were allegedly used by William Mendez, 49, of Providence. According to court documents, Mendez allegedly told Gonzalez on July 13, 2021, that he took between 500 and 1,000 grams of cocaine, some of which was then sold to Gonzalez.
The investigation further showed that Gonzalez bought more cocaine from Mendez, also from other people, between July 13, 2021, and August 12, 2021. He then processed and sold the cocaine as crack cocaine.
Mendez is currently in federal custody awaiting trial. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as, conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute forty grams or more of fentanyl.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.