A Taunton man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in drug distribution and a conspiracy involving large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine. The sentencing took place in federal court in Boston. Terrence Pyrtle, also known as “Big T,” was found guilty of using another person’s identity to fraudulently rent locations for drug trafficking purposes.
U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris handed down the sentence to Pyrtle, who is 42 years old. In April 2025, Pyrtle admitted guilt to multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute drugs and aggravated identity theft. He was initially charged in April 2023 alongside Ashley Roostaie.
Pyrtle and Roostaie used personal identification information from an unsuspecting individual to lease apartments in Braintree and Somerville for drug-related activities. They created an email account and counterfeit driver’s license with the individual’s details and used a Green Dot debit card account for apartment payments.
In May 2025, Roostaie received a two-year probation sentence along with fines and restitution by Judge Saris.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley along with officials from the FBI’s Boston Division and Massachusetts State Police. Local police departments also assisted in the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and David Cutshall.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies.
