BOSTON — A North Shore man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring that funneled fake prescription pills with fentanyl and methamphetamine into the region.
Gino Castillo, 35, of Salem, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor handed down his sentence.
Castillo pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The North Shore-based drug trafficking organization distributed “tens of thousands” of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, Foley said.
Castillo was among 27 people who have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the drug trafficking enterprise involving counterfeit prescription pills, Foley said.
Castillo was indicted on April 24, 2024. Of the 27 people who have pleaded guilty, 22 have been sentenced.
The drug trafficking ring distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs, to people in the Lynn area.
In May 2022, Castillo bought 500 pills containing fentanyl from members of the drug ring for redistribution to others, prosecutors said.
In October 2022, Castillo was seen assisting a drug trafficking leader, Lawrence Michael Nagle Jr., with moving into an apartment on Phillips Street in Salem where drugs would be stored, prosecutors said.
During a search at the Salem location on Oct. 25, 2022, investigators found counterfeit pills in a safe in the bedroom and hidden in the tank of a toilet, prosecutors said.
Lawrence Michael Nagle Jr. pleaded guilty in April, Foley said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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