NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The leader of a major drug trafficking operation in Manhattan was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison.
According to a release from the Southern District of New York, Pedro Vicioso De Lima, also known as “Pep” or “Pepo,” was sentenced for leading a drug trafficking operation that “was responsible for dealing fentanyl-laced heroin that has been tied to multiple suspected fatal and nonfatal overdoses.”
Vicioso De Lima, 52, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, previously pled guilty to charges stemming from the trafficking operation.
“As he previously admitted, Pedro Vicioso De Lima led a Washington Heights drug distribution network that sold fentanyl-laced heroin even after he was aware that customers were overdosing on it,” said U.S.
Attorney Audrey Strauss. “Vicioso De Lima’s drug peddling and his callous disregard for its consequences have resulted in today’s prison sentence.”
Prosecutors say the 52-year-old operated the drug operation out of a building on West 167th Street in Manhattan, and the surrounding area.
“From July 2016 to October 2018, the drug trafficking organization is estimated to have distributed more than 85 kilograms of heroin, much of it laced with fentanyl,” a release said.
Officials say Vicioso De Lima and his second-in-command, Victor Hidalgo, managed several stash houses and directed several other members of the operation on how to handle the drugs being sold, managing lookouts, watching for authorities and handling complains about the drugs from customers.
Prosecutors note that in May 2018, the 52-year-old was told that the drugs he was selling were causing people to overdose, but the drug operation continued until his arrest in November 2018.
In addition to the prison term, Vicioso De Lima was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
His second-in-command, Hidalgo, was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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