Three indicted in Mass., Arizona, Rhode Island drug conspiracy after 16lbs of meth, guns, dozens of social security cards, licenses, seized

BOSTON – Three individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to traffic controlled substances from Arizona into Massachusetts. Defendants allegedly hid drugs in packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, Denise Guyette, 29, of Woonsocket, R.I.; Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” 47, of Yuma, Ariz.; and Nathan Boddie, 38, of Pawtucket, R.I., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Guyette was arrested on Feb. 8, 2023, and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Boddie was arrested on Feb. 6, 2023 and is currently being held in state custody in connection with Rhode Island state charges. Boddie will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Garza was arrested on Feb. 10, 2023, in the Southern District of California and was detained pending a detention hearing. He will also appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to court documents, in or about April 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Guyette. It is alleged that Guyette conspired with Garza, Boddie and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. It is further alleged that the DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a very strong psychedelic.

“Fentanyl and methamphetamine are serious, lethal threats to the well-being of our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify drug traffickers and stop the flow of illegal drugs into Massachusetts where they cause pain and destruction. Drug trafficking frequently intersects with illegal firearms and other criminal conduct. This instance proved no different. Ghost guns were seized as well as a 3-D printer we allege was used to print ghost gun parts. It is our contention that this seizure likely saved countless lives.”

“Operation Raising Arizona has dealt a significant blow to a drug trafficking organization that we believe is responsible for operating nationwide, flooding communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with highly addictive and deadly narcotics. All three individuals we’ve removed from the street are accused of being prolific drug dealers who thrived on selling drugs and believed they could pull the wool over the eyes of investigators by hiding their product inside toys and other common household items,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The violence associated with the illegal drug trade, as illustrated by our seizure of multiple ghost guns, is a threat to our communities, and the FBI and our partners are committed to working together across jurisdictions to take down criminals who insist on bringing their harmful business to our neighborhoods.”

On Feb. 6, 2023, Boddie was arrested in Rhode Island following a traffic stop during which a 9mm handgun ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition, an empty 9mm magazine and a 10-round capable magazine loaded with one round of ammunition were allegedly located inside his vehicle. Additionally, during a search of his person, it is alleged that Boddie attempted to swallow a plastic bag containing 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine.

At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 15 pounds of a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine and thousands of suspected fentanyl pills weighing over 400 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence. During a search of Boddie’s Rhode Island residence, investigators seized two ghost guns, a 3-D printer used to print ghost gun components, approximately 150 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as 10 different driver’s licenses, each bearing Boddie’s photo with names and addresses of other individuals.

In total, law enforcement seized over 16 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl over the course of the investigation.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Imperial County Resident Agency and Yuma Resident Agency; United States Postal Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Woonsocket (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.