WORCESTER – A local man pleaded guilty in federal court to drug distribution charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Luis Torres, 47, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony.
According to federal prosecutors, Torres conspired with others to coordinate delivery of a package send from Puerto Rico, which he knew contained between four and six kilograms of cocaine.
In June 2022, law enforcement intercepted the package and executed a controlled delivery to an individual while Torres sat in a nearby vehicle.
Authorities arrested Torres at the scene and discovered $26,480 in cash inside the vehicle he was driving.
Prosecutors say Torres admitted receiving the cash as an advance payment for one kilogram of cocaine.
A Worcester federal judge scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17. A federal grand jury indicted him in December 2022.
The charge of conspiring to distribute five hundred or more grams of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million.
The charge of using a communications facility to facilitate a drug felony provides for up to four years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to one year.
