PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Philadelphia man identified by federal prosecutors as the leader of a sprawling drug trafficking operation moving massive quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine across southeastern Pennsylvania was sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison.
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alberto Cintron, also known as “Bert” and “Nephew,” 37, was sentenced to 234 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge John M. Younge. The sentence stems from Cintron’s role in a drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy that operated in Montgomery County, Chester County, and Philadelphia.
Cintron was charged by federal indictment in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in July to more than a dozen offenses. The convictions included conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, multiple counts of distribution, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court filings, investigators first identified Cintron in July 2023 as the leader of a drug trafficking group responsible for supplying large quantities of narcotics throughout the region. Prosecutors said Cintron controlled the operation by directing associates to deliver drugs to customers or by making deliveries himself, following a consistent pattern of distribution.
From July through October 2023, authorities determined that the organization distributed or possessed with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl, along with other controlled substances. Searches conducted at Cintron’s Philadelphia residence and at stash houses he maintained led to the seizure of more than 5,500 individually packaged bags of fentanyl, several pounds of methamphetamine, and multiple firearms. Investigators said Cintron was legally prohibited from possessing the weapons.
The case was investigated by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Upper Merion Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Mills and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin, who also serves as an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County.
Federal officials said the sentence reflects the scale of the drug operation and the danger posed by the combination of high-volume narcotics trafficking and illegal firearms possession.
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