R.I. man pleads guilty, gets 8 years for Lynn drug charge

SALEM – A Rhode Island man nabbed in Lynn last year after picking up almost half a kilo of cocaine will spend eight years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced charge.Jan Velasquez, 31, of Providence, R.I., changed his plea of innocent to guilty Wednesday afternoon to a reduced charge of trafficking over 28 grams of cocaine.Judge David A. Lowy agreed to adopt the joint sentence agreement reached by Assistant District Attorney Michael Patten and defense lawyer John R. Valerio.The plea concession between the prosecutor and defense had been reduced from 200 grams of cocaine, which carries a 15-year minimum punishment, to 28 grams of cocaine.On July 14, 2010 police identified a suspicious Express Mail parcel sent to a Daniel Jemery at 81 Superior St., Lynn, from Puerto Rico on July 13. That area in Puerto Rico is a known source area of illegal shipments of narcotics through the U.S. Postal Service.With the aid of a drug-sniffing K-9, authorities learned the parcel smelled of narcotics.The package was delivered by an Essex County Drug Task Force member, who asked the recipient to open the package, which contained 497 grams of cocaine along with a Samsung Home Theater System speaker, according to police.The recipient told authorities he was receiving the shipment on behalf of Velasquez.Velasquez was then called by a co-operating witness to pick up the package, which was resealed. In the meantime, police surveillance was set up. On the afternoon of July 15 Velasquez, along with alleged accomplice Jose Villafane, arrived at the surveilled location in a tan Lincoln.Police moved in and arrested the pair as they accepted the package.A total of $897 in cash was seized from Velasquez along with a cell phone.The judge credited him the 433 days spent in jail awaiting trial on the case.The case against Villafane, 34, also of Rhode Island, remains open. He is scheduled to plead as to his role in the case next month. In the meantime he remains held in lieu of bail.