PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Dominican national living in Allentown was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, including near a school and playground, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said.
Wilson Rosario, 36, also known as “Joshua,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John M. Gallagher to 15 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, along with a $3,000 fine and a $300 special assessment.
Rosario pleaded guilty in January to drug distribution conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
According to court filings, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Rosario between April and August 2023.
On August 26, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at a residence on the 800 block of West Chew Street in Allentown, about 100 feet from an elementary school and playground.
Authorities said they recovered nearly 300 grams of suspected fentanyl, along with a hydraulic press, respirator, digital scales and other equipment used to package drugs.
Agents also searched a second location on the 1300 block of West Chew Street, about 300 feet from Franklin Park, where they seized more than four kilograms of suspected fentanyl, along with Narcan, a respirator and packaging materials.
Laboratory testing confirmed that more than 4,272 grams of the seized substances contained fentanyl or a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine.
Combined with drugs obtained through controlled purchases, Rosario was held responsible for approximately 4,334.93 grams of fentanyl in the case.
“After entering the United States illegally, the defendant wasted no time in acquiring bulk quantities of fentanyl,” Metcalf said.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said the investigation targeted a trafficker operating near public spaces.
“This investigation and prosecution stopped an upper-level drug trafficker who was storing his poisonous products within walking distance of an elementary school and public park,” Sunday said.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Schopf prosecuted the case.
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