Local heroin trafficker sentenced to prison in Fall River court

A 32-year-old Acushnet heroin trafficker was convicted in Fall River Superior Court yesterday and sentenced to serve up to five years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

According to Gregg Miliote of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Joshua Moniz pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with trafficking heroin in excess of 18 grams and possession with intent to distribute Xanax.

On May 12, 2018, New Bedford Police and Acushnet Police executed a search warrant for a heroin distribution service at 115 Porter Street in Acushnet. Once inside the defendant’s home, police found a safe where the narcotics were being stored. In the safe was a bag of heroin weighing 83.1 grams as well as $1,302 in cash. A further search of the home resulted in the recovery of an additional three bags of heroin weighing 2.7 grams, an additional $380 in cash, 104 Xanax tablets, a digital scale, cut corner bags, and packaging materials. After testing, the heroin was confirmed to contain a mixture of heroin and fentanyl weighing 82.5 grams

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sylvia and the three-and-a-half year to five year prison sentence was imposed by Judge Gregg Pasquale.

“This is another defendant who is profiting off of the sale of heroin and fentanyl that is the cause of misery for many people and their families. There needs to be accountability for this conduct,” District Attorney Quinn said.