Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced on Thursday March 2 that a Cranston man by the name of Manuel Coradin was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for various drug and weapons charges.

Coradin, age 43, will serve his sentence at the Adult Correctional Institutions after pleading to his charges stemming from an investigation by the RI State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task force (RISP HIDTA) and the Cranston Police Department.

According to the press release from the Attorney General’s office, Coradin waved criminal indictment and entered a plea of nolo contendere to “possession of an ounce to one kilogram of cocaine, possession of over a kilogram of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a large capacity feeding device.”

At the hearing the court sentenced the defendant to 25 years, with 15 years to be served in prison and 10-year suspended sentence followed by 25 years worth of probation. The statement from the Attorney General’s office also said that the court chose to stay execution of the sentence until March 8 in order to allow the defendant to appear in federal court as a probation violator. Coradin is being held without bail until that time.

“We know that it is drug dealers that are driving the rampant, and deadly, abuse of illicit drugs in our communities, and our office is committed to stopping it,” said Attorney General Neronha in the press release. “And not only was the defendant trafficking large quantities of these dangerous drugs, he also possessed an illegal firearm with a large-capacity magazine – a deadly recipe for violent crime. I commend the efforts of the Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston police, and the prosecutors in our Office for their work in this case and in so many others.”

The course of the investigation that led to Coradin’s arrest is further detailed in the press release from the Attorney General’s office. In November of 2022, the Cranston police department and state police task force began investigating suspected methamphetamine and MDMA trafficking by Coradin from his apartment located on Ryder Avenue.

Investigators utilized surveillance and controlled purchases in November and December of 2022, until on Dec. 21, 2022, Coradin was arrested.

During the arrest and execution of a search warrant approximately 3.45 kilograms of assorted methamphetamine and MDMA pills, about 25.6 grams of fentanyl pills, 265 grams of cocaine and the necessary equipment to weigh and distribute the drugs were all found. In addition, one Taurus G3 9mm semi-automatic handgun equipped with a 16-round magazine and a little over $13,000 in cash were also discovered.

“This successful outcome highlights the effective partnership between our local and state law enforcement agencies that are dedicated to disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics and firearms throughout Rhode Island,” said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “I commend the detectives and prosecutors who worked diligently on this case, and I applaud their commitment to keeping our communities safe.”