SOMERSET, N.J. (Somerset County) — A Somerset County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to distributing fentanyl and cocaine in a case linked to the deaths of four people, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba said
Mauricio Gutierrez, 52, of Somerset entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton, Habba said. He admitted to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Habba said Gutierrez distributed fentanyl on two occasions on June 22, 2022, from his Somerset residence. Four people died as a result. When he was arrested on Sept. 27, 2023, law enforcement recovered cocaine stored in his home and car. Gutierrez admitted that even after learning of the fentanyl-related deaths, he intended to sell the cocaine later, officials said.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine or twice the value of any proceeds. Sentences may run consecutively, and Gutierrez will face a period of supervised release after prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026.
Habba credited Homeland Security Investigations Newark, along with the North Brunswick Police Department and the Franklin Township Police Department, for their work on the case. The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program.
