Rhode Island man out on bail on drug and firearm charges facing new drug charges

COVENTRY, RI — On Wednesday, a 34-year-old man was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture and deliver cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as possession of testosterone, a Schedule III drug.

Following a months-long investigation, Coventry Police Department’s Detective Division executed a court-authorized search warrant at 11:00 a.m. at Julio Rivera’s residence. The operation involved Coventry Patrol Division, Police K9 “Nixo,” the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Home Confinement Unit. The search yielded 117 grams of cocaine, 91 grams of methamphetamine, 20 grams of fentanyl, vials of testosterone, drug production equipment, packaging materials, and a significant amount of cash.

On Thursday, Rivera was arraigned in Kent County District Court and presented as a Superior Court bail violator for a 2024 West Warwick case involving possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during drug delivery, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and related charges. He was ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions on the new charges.

Coventry Police expressed gratitude to the ATF, Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Home Confinement Unit, Rhode Island Department of Corrections K9 Unit, and Warwick Police Department K9 Unit for their support during the extensive property search.