Rhode Island man convicted of felonies on 8 separate occasions sentenced on drug trafficking charges while on supervised release

PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man, who was previously convicted on federal crack cocaine drug trafficking and firearm charges and incarcerated, has been sentenced to federal prison for again trafficking crack cocaine while on federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

31-year-old Estefano J. Lobo, who since 2010 has been convicted of felony crimes on eight separate occasions, admitted to a ninth felony before a federal judge. Lobo admitted that, in March 2022, less than a year after leaving federal prison to begin serving a three-year term of federal supervised release, he sold and delivered crack cocaine to another individual and had been dealing crack cocaine for several months.

According to information presented to the court, during an investigation into Lobo’s renewed drug trafficking activity, and while under law enforcement surveillance, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and Pawtucket Police Department detectives witnessed Lobo make a hand-to-hand crack cocaine delivery to another person.

At the time of his arrest, Lobo was found to be in possession of 1.35 grams of crack cocaine and $580 in cash. A court-authorized search of Lobo’s residence resulted in the seizure of 98.45 grams of crack cocaine, $7,652 in cash, and, among other items, tools associated with processing cocaine powder into cocaine base.

Lobo pleaded guilty to his most recent charges in federal court on October 4, 2022, to possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute; he was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William Smith to a term of 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.