Hoboken Man And Essex County Man Plead Guilty To Fetanyl Charges

Hoboken NJ

07 December, 2021

9:34 AM

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HOBOKEN AND ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — After police found more than 1 kilogram of fetanyl in a Hoboken man's house and car, they charged that man and an Essex County man with possessing with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said Monday. Coco Latre, 32, of Belleville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with possession with intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Bryant Agurto, 33, of Hoboken pleaded guilty by videoconference before Judge Kevin McNulty on Nov. 10, 2021, to the same charge. Fetanyl, a highly addictive painkiller, has been blamed for addictions and deaths around the country. The CDC estimated that overdoses killed almost 70,000 people in 2020. The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey notes, "Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine that is used to treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery." According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 5, 2021, Agurto travelled from Hoboken to Latre's residence in Belleville to retrieve fentanyl that had been packaged by Latre. After Agurto left Latre's residence, law enforcement officers conducted a motor vehicle stop of Agurto's car and found the package of fentanyl. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers searched Latre's residence and recovered more fentanyl, seizing a total of 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl from the car and residence. The offense to which Agurto and Latre pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of $10 million. Sentencing for Latre is scheduled for April 12, 2022. Sentencing for Agurto is scheduled for March 23, 2022. Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray A. Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark. Sign up for a daily 6 a.m. newsletter with news in your Patch town, or for breaking news alerts: https://patch.com/subscribe