Natick man sentenced to six years in prison in fentanyl trafficking case

Lina Portman1 week ago

0 1 minute read

BOSTON — A Natick man has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking case in which the body of a missing woman who died of a drug overdose was found in her apartment.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts, Rafael Ashworth, 29, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Last February, Ashworth was convicted after a six-day jury trial of one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Earlier: Natick man faces life in prison after fatal overdose in his apartment

The government had recommended a sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison.

“Fentanyl is causing a record number of deaths in Massachusetts and the DEA's top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone distributing this poison,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. , in a press release. “This conviction not only holds Mr. Ashworth accountable for his crimes, but also serves as a warning to the traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic. »

Massachusetts DPH reports 2,125 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023

Opioid-related overdose deaths totaled 2,125 last year, down 9.8% from the state's all-time annual high of 2,357 in 2022, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

On November 17, 2019, police responded to an apartment on Morse Street in Natick following a call regarding an overdose. They found the body of a 24-year-old woman who they said had died of a fentanyl overdose.

Police obtained a search warrant for the apartment — which Ashworth was renting — and found more than 100 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamines and heroin in the home, authorities said.

Authorities said they also found items typically used for packaging and dispensing drugs.

Police quickly determined that the deceased woman had been dead for several days and that Ashworth had made no effort to contact police or paramedics, according to the news release. When police first entered Ashworth's apartment, he allegedly told officers he hadn't seen the deceased woman in weeks.

Massachusetts DPH reports 2,125 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023

Lina Portman

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