By: Najla Alexander
NJ AG authorities announced that a federal jury has convicted a Bergen County man of running a fentanyl trafficking ring involving kilograms of fentanyl.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello stated that Plinio Junior Pineda Lopez, 35, of Oakland, was convicted following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine.
“This verdict sends a clear message to those who seek to profit by flooding our communities with fentanyl: law enforcement will find you, our Office will charge you, and you will be held fully accountable,” said Senior Counsel Lamparello.
“This guilty verdict on all counts is a decisive victory in our ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy.
According to documents filed in this case and evidence at trial:
Lopez directed and conspired with others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl between Florida and New Jersey, according to NJ AG officials.
NJ AG officials say following an extensive investigation of Lopez’s drug activity in Jacksonville, Miami, and Bergen County, law enforcement arrested Lopez on July 11, 2023, in Wallington, when he attempted to conduct a narcotics transaction involving over one kilogram of fentanyl.
Following his arrest, law enforcement searched Lopez's home pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant. It recovered an extensive quantity of fentanyl and cocaine that was hidden in air vents and appliances throughout his home, NJ AG officials stated.
Through this investigation, law enforcement recovered a total of approximately nine kilograms of fentanyl and approximately one kilogram of cocaine, NJ AG officials said. The narcotics trafficking charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $10 million.
According to NJ AG officials, sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.