A former 29-year-old Essex County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer from Haverhill was sentenced to probation Monday in federal court for his role in trying to smuggle drugs to a prisoner at the Middleton jail.
Gregorit Sanchez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley in Boston to five years’ probation with the first year to be served in home detention. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston said in a release the court acknowledged that U.S. sentencing guidelines suggest 30-37 months in prison and the prosecutor recommended a sentence of 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
In March, Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and other controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and other controlled substances. Sanchez was charged in December 2021, along with 20 other individuals.
On Nov. 11, 2021, Sanchez attempted to smuggle a package containing fentanyl, cocaine, Suboxone and other goods into the Middleton House of Correction for Elvis DeJesus, who was being held after his arrest on state firearms charges. The prosecutor said DeJesus, who was also charged, intended to distribute the drugs inside the jail. Sanchez was stopped as he arrived to work at the jail and the package was seized. The package contained 33 grams of fentanyl pills, one gram of crack cocaine, 14 grams of powder cocaine and Suboxone sublingual films, as well as cigarettes and a SIM card for a contraband cellphone that Sanchez had previously obtained for DeJesus and that DeJesus used to coordinate drug distribution from inside the jail.
DeJesus also pleaded guilty this month and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15.