RI Men Sentenced In Drug Trafficking Case Involving Mail Carrier Kidnapping: Feds

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four Rhode Island men were sentenced to federal prison for a drug trafficking case involving the kidnapping of a postal service mail carrier, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The case also involved "kilogram quantities of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release.

Edgar Medina, 41, was sentenced to 30 years, Ronald Hall, 43, was sentenced to 20 years, Andres Garay, 39, got 10 years and Alijah Parson was sentenced to five years.

See also: Breeze Airways Pilots Picket At Rhode Island TF Green Airport

Medina had been found guilty after a 13-day jury trial of kidnapping, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and aiding and abetting possession and attempted possession of cocaine, according to the release.

"The jury also returned guilty verdicts against Parsons for the conspiracy, possession, and attempted possession with intent to distribute charges, and against Garay for attempted possession with intent to distribute," the release said.

See also: Former Nurse Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients At RI Rehab Center: AG

"Prior to trial, Hall pleaded guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine," according to the release.

A fifth man Irving Medina, 33, of Providence pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months, according to the release.

See also: Rhode Island Weekend Starts With Showers Before Skies Turn Sunny

Edgar Medina and Ronald Hall kidnapped the letter carrier at gunpoint "while searching for cocaine they believed was missing from a package delivered in Pawtucket," the release said.

"They drove the letter carrier to his own home, intending to search the residence, and interrogated the USPS employee at gunpoint," the release said. "Upon finding the home locked and a neighbor outside, Medina and Hall and ultimately returned the USPS employee near the original abduction point. Photographs subsequently found in co-conspirators’ cellphones revealed additional photographs of USPS employees, taken both before and after the kidnapping."

See also: East Providence Prowler Pinched: Police

During the ensuing investigation, postal inspectors learned of packages that had been shipped from fictitious people and addresses in Puerto Rico to addresses in Rhode Island associated with Edgar Medina, according to the release, and agents intercepted additional packages that a Rhode Island State Police dog alerted for the presence of narcotics.

"Court-authorized searches of the packages resulted in the discovery of a total of more than three kilograms of cocaine," the release said.

"Postal Inspectors arranged for controlled deliveries of those packages on June 8, 2021, under surveillance by U.S. Postal Service Inspectors, members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and the Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force," according to the release. "As the packages were delivered, Edgar Medina, Andres Garay, and Ronald Hall were arrested."

See also: MA Man Sentenced To 8 Years For Murder Plot Hatched With RI Federal Inmate