A Southbridge resident, Eric Rivera, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute cocaine in Central Massachusetts. The plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman in Worcester. Sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2025.
Rivera, age 33, admitted guilt to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024 along with alleged co-conspirators Luis Sastre Pagan and Miguel Lopez.
According to prosecutors, from April 2023 through April 2024, Rivera participated in a conspiracy that shipped kilograms of cocaine into Central Massachusetts. Authorities said Rivera provided addresses for use as “drop addresses” for drug packages within Worcester County and transported packages of cocaine to other traffickers in the Springfield area.
Investigators seized four packages connected to the organization during their inquiry; each package contained cocaine. One package addressed to Rivera and seized in February 2023 contained three kilograms of cocaine. In total, officials attribute between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine to Rivera’s involvement.
Rivera’s alleged co-conspirators have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement.”
Assistance was also provided by DEA Puerto Rico and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown is prosecuting the case from the Worcester Branch Office.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach involving multiple agencies [https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF].
Authorities noted that details outlined in charging documents remain allegations regarding remaining defendants who are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
