One other alleged main North Shore drug pusher is going through critical expenses of distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine — and even shaking down one in all his personal sellers at gunpoint.
Federal regulation enforcement arrested Harvey “Big Opp” Rodriguez, 29, of Lynn, on Wednesday. He was charged in federal courtroom in Boston with one depend every of conspiracy to distribute managed substances and conspiracy to intrude with commerce by theft.
Rodriguez’s arrest comes following a prolonged investigation into the fertile drug and manufacturing operations north of Boston.
The investigation has already ensnared a number of of Rodriguez’s fellow alleged distributors, together with Schuyler Oppenheimer of Cambridge, whose case continues to be pending; Vincent “Fatz” Caruso, who pleaded responsible to 5 counts and was sentenced to twenty years in jail; and Caruso’s underling, Ernest “Yo Pesci” Johnson, who acquired seven years. All seem in courtroom papers associated to this case.
In line with the prison criticism, Rodriguez led the “criminal enterprise” often called “Big Opp Entertainment” or “Brothers Over Everything,” referred to in courtroom papers as BOE.
His prison historical past consists of a number of arrests however no convictions. Nonetheless, FBI Particular Agent Eric Poalino states in an affidavit that regulation enforcement considers him a recognized distributor of fentanyl, particularly in pressed capsule kind, in addition to methamphetamine and cocaine.
In the course of the investigation, Poalino alleges, Rodriguez and his crew offered medicine at the very least 4 instances to cooperating witnesses and carried out two shakedowns of his personal sellers — one in all which led to the theft cost.
In that incident — which federal authorities seek advice from as a Hobbs Act theft — Rodriguez was one stage faraway from the cocaine seller he allegedly robbed at gunpoint. Though he wore a masks throughout their dealings, investigators pieced collectively that he was the distributor concerned.
In line with courtroom papers, the seller requested a kilogram of cocaine via a cooperating witness, who handed the request to Rodriguez. The deal was set for $24,000 within the seller’s house.
When the seller wished extra, a second deal was arrange. However when the cooperating witness exited the house to supposedly retrieve the medicine, Rodriguez and one other man “bum rushed” in with semiautomatic Glock pistols in hand and demanded the cash with out offering the products.
The 70-page affidavit supporting the prison criticism is full of textual content messages that prosecutors say are between Rodriguez and his associates. The messages are brief, expletive-ridden bursts of text-speak that make them troublesome to cite.
At instances, Rodriguez would instruct others to maneuver the dialog to an encrypted platform: “Yo hit me thru Signal,” reads one message, referencing the safe messaging app.
In line with the affidavit, investigators constructed their case via these textual content communications and surveillance footage inserting Rodriguez at areas tied to his alleged actions.
Courtesy/U.S. District Courtroom
Harvey “Big Opp” Rodriguez, 29, of Lynn, as seen in an RMV picture present in courtroom paperwork. (Courtesy/U.S. District Courtroom)
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