A Framingham, MA, auto body shop allegedly used as a front for a major drug trafficking operation was the site of a substantial narcotics seizure, including more than 2,400 grams of cocaine, 85 grams of fentanyl, and a luxury McLaren MP412C, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Wilber Soto Rivera, 39, of Clinton, MA, was arraigned in Framingham District Court and held without bail following a dangerousness hearing. He faces charges including trafficking in cocaine (over 200 grams), trafficking in fentanyl (over 36 grams), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, improper storage of a firearm, and leaving ammunition unattended.
The charges stem from a March 31 investigation led by the Massachusetts State Police and the MetroWest Drug Task Force, which executed search warrants at the Framingham business and Rivera’s Clinton residence. Authorities seized approximately 2,355 grams of cocaine, 60 grams of crack cocaine, 85 grams of fentanyl, and a mechanical press believed to be used for packaging fentanyl into “fingers,” a common unit of sale. A firearm and ammunition were also recovered from the body shop.
At Rivera’s residence, investigators found an additional 4,500 grams of unidentified powdery substances pending lab analysis, more than $160,000 in cash, and two vehicles, including the McLaren, which can retail for up to $230,000.
“In this case investigators seized, among other things, a large quantity of dangerous narcotics, a press for packaging, a substantial amount of cash, a gun and a luxury car,” Ryan said in a statement. “These are alleged to all be the product and proceeds of a drug operation. It is alleged that the defendant was using the shop as a cover for the drug business.”
Ryan emphasized the risks these operations pose to public safety, adding, “We are committed to working collaboratively to disrupt these enterprises which put deadly substances on the street and, because of the efforts to protect the proceeds with firearms, put the community at risk.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Ineson. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Framingham, Clinton, Natick, Marlborough and Ashland police departments in Massachusetts.
