A Lawrence man has been found guilty of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Jose Dolores Batista, 65, was convicted on November 20, 2025, after a four-day jury trial. He faces sentencing before U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV at a later date.
Batista worked as a taxi driver and acted as a courier for a drug trafficking organization that distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. According to evidence presented at trial, Batista regularly delivered drugs, transported traffickers, and collected money from customers on behalf of the organization.
The trial revealed that Batista traveled on several occasions to pick up drugs or proceeds from sales. On one occasion, he collected $8,000 as partial payment for a kilogram of fentanyl. In another instance, he picked up a kilogram of cocaine in South Lawrence and drove it to Boston where he exchanged it for $15,000. He also traveled to Lowell to collect 350 grams of fentanyl.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and up to $1 million in fines. Sentencing will be determined by the federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement.” The case received support from local police departments including Natick, Newton, Waltham and Brookline.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and J. Mackenzie Duane are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling major criminal organizations through coordinated efforts across agencies. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
