Providence man pleads not guilty in federal cocaine case prosecutors tie to Taunton and Berkley
Judge Leo T. Sorokin has the case, No. 1:26-cr-10297-LTS. Each charge carries five to 40 years in prison, and 10 years to life for Gomez-Santana because of a prior conviction, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
TAUNTON A Providence man charged in a federal cocaine case that prosecutors tie to a Taunton shopping plaza and a Berkley gas station pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is due back in court Dec. 14.
Eduardo Gomez-Santana, 50, entered the plea on both counts at his arraignment at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in U.S. District Court in Boston, according to the court docket. The docket sets an initial status conference for 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14.
His co-defendant, Isaac Marrero, 33, of Middleboro, had no arraignment scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The case, United States v. Gomez-Santana et al., No. 1:26-cr-10297-LTS, is assigned to U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin and referred to Magistrate Judge Jessica D. Hedges for pretrial proceedings, the docket shows. A federal grand jury in Boston returned the indictment Oct. 29. The criminal complaint that first charged the two men is dated Sept. 29, the office said.
Each man is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, the office said in a release Tuesday. Both were arrested in September. Gomez-Santana is detained pending trial, and Marrero was released on conditions, according to the release.
What prosecutors allege
In August, a cooperating witness met Gomez-Santana outside a restaurant in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and bought about 250 grams of cocaine, the office said, citing the charging documents. Before that sale, prosecutors say, Gomez-Santana was seen meeting with a black Mercedes registered to Marrero.
A few weeks later, the witness arranged to meet Gomez-Santana again, this time to buy about 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, or roughly 3.3 pounds, the office said. On Sept. 29, prosecutors say, Gomez-Santana met the witness in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in Taunton and then sent the witness to a gas station in Berkley.
There, prosecutors allege, Gomez-Santana met with Marrero, who handed him a bag holding about 1.5 kilograms of cocaine. Gomez-Santana then gave the cocaine to the witness in exchange for cash, prosecutors say.
What the charges carry
Each of the two charges carries a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million, according to the office.
The range is higher for Gomez-Santana. Because of a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute drugs, for which he was sentenced to 90 months, the office said, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, at least eight years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $8 million.
Those ranges come from federal drug law. Under 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(B), 500 grams or more of a mixture containing cocaine is the amount that sets the five-year minimum and the 40-year maximum, and the same section raises the range to 10 years to life when the person has a final prior conviction for a serious drug felony. A separate section, 21 U.S.C. 846, gives a conspiracy the same penalties as the crime it aimed at.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the statutes that govern sentencing, the office said.
The lawyers
Gomez-Santana is represented by Joshua Hanye and Shawn Petrini of the Federal Public Defender's Office in Boston, and Petrini appeared for him at the arraignment, the docket shows. Marrero is represented by Keith Durden, a Quincy lawyer appointed by the court under the Criminal Justice Act.
South Coast 360 News emailed Durden, Hanye and Petrini late Tuesday afternoon to ask whether they or their clients wished to comment. None had responded by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Who investigated
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced the indictment. The Massachusetts State Police and the police departments in Pawtucket and Bridgewater assisted, according to the release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the office's Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case and appeared at Tuesday's arraignment. The office said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department initiative.
What happens next
Gomez-Santana's initial status conference is set for 11 a.m. Dec. 14. Marrero must still be arraigned on the indictment, and the docket shows no date for that yet. The office said the details in the charging documents are allegations. Gomez-Santana and Marrero are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact about the charges, the allegations, the penalties and the agencies comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts release of Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The case number, the judges, the indictment and complaint dates, the arraignment, the plea, the Dec. 14 status conference and the lawyers come from the office's emailed reply to us that afternoon and the court docket attached to it. The background on how federal law sets the penalties comes from 21 U.S.C. 841 and 846. We read them on Nov. 3, 2026. The pound figure is our own conversion of the release's 1.5 kilograms. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. Not heard: lawyers for both men, who did not respond to our emailed requests by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Corrections
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Sources (4)
- U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts: Two Men Indicted for Drug Conspiracy and DistributionRelease dated Nov. 3, 2026, posted 12:20 p.m.; received by email at 12:23 p.m. and read in the same words through the Justice Department's press release listing. Read Nov. 3, 2026.
- U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, media office: email reply with the docket of United States v. Gomez-Santana et al., No. 1:26-cr-10297-LTS, U.S. District Court, District of MassachusettsEmail to South Coast 360 News received 3:18 p.m. Nov. 3, 2026, with the court's CM/ECF docket printed at 3:15 p.m. that day (case number, judge, indictment and complaint dates, the Nov. 3 arraignment and plea, the Dec. 14 status conference, counsel of record). Not posted online; the link is the court's general home page. Read Nov. 3, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute: 21 U.S. Code 841, prohibited acts APenalty ranges in subsection (b)(1)(B) for 500 grams or more of a mixture containing cocaine, with and without a prior conviction. Read Nov. 3, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute: 21 U.S. Code 846, attempt and conspiracyA conspiracy carries the same penalties as the offense that was its object. Read Nov. 3, 2026.