Jorge Pimentel, known as “Big Head,” has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, according to Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Pimentel, a 36-year-old resident of Cranston, Rhode Island, confessed to operating a substantial drug lab and stash house in Pawtucket. Authorities seized 19,315 fentanyl-laced pills, nearly 9 kilograms of powder fentanyl, an industrial grade high-speed pill press, and large quantities of cutting agents. This seizure marks one of the largest collections of fentanyl in Rhode Island.
The seized fentanyl represented potential production of more than 633,000 fentanyl-laced pills. Court records indicate Pimentel was a “well-established, large-scale fentanyl trafficker.” Between May and September 2023, he arranged sales of approximately 34,000 fentanyl-laced pills, earning $37,000 from these transactions.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. sentenced Pimentel to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force led the investigation. This task force includes agents from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, multiple local police departments, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office acknowledged the support from the Providence Police Department and the DEA.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative program targeting violent crime and gun violence, aiming to enhance community safety.