NJ man gets big prison time for fentanyl, cocaine, guns

A North Jersey man has been sentenced to over a decade behind bars on fentanyl, cocaine, and gun charges.

50-year-old Carlos Santiago of East Orange had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

On Thursday, he was sentenced to 143 months, or almost 12 years, in prison.

Federal authorities say on October 24th, 2022, they encountered Santiago as he was moving controlled substances from a storage unit to his vehicle in Newark. He was arrested after law enforcement located several kilos of fentanyl and cocaine, as well as one gun, in that unit.

Authorities then searched his home in East Orange and located several more kilos of fentanyl and cocaine along with five more firearms.

Santiago had previously been convicted of a drug offense and resisting arrest.

In addition to the prison term, Santiago was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents with the DEA and ATF with the investigation that led to the sentencing.