A former Haverhill man was convicted this week by a federal jury of selling fentanyl, including a sale to a 26-year-old who died of an overdose the next day.
Thirty-year-old Bernardito Carvajal was convicted following a five-day jury trial of two counts of distribution of fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for next March 22. Carvajal was indicted in January 2020 and has been in custody since his arrest in July 2019.
“Drug dealers make a living selling death on the installment plan. I think people lose sight of that. Drug dealers and traffickers made money off each of the 100,000 people who overdosed last year,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “The jury in this case found that Carvajal distributed lethal drugs and Carvajal will pay a steep price for his crimes.”
Carvajal sold fentanyl June 12, 2019 in Lawrence to a 26-year-old Lawrence victim who died of an overdose the following day. Carvajal continued to sell fentanyl, including one July 31, 2019 to an undercover officer. At trial, the jury convicted Carvajal of the underlying fentanyl distribution counts, but acquitted him for the overdose death.
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison,” said Brian D. Boyle, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division.
The case arose from “Operation Devil’s Highway,” a 10-week coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley. The enforcement operation was a coordinated effort by federal, state and local partners.