Beverly Man, Mother Sentenced In Massive North Shore Drug Operation

BEVERLY, MA — A Beverly man and his mother, who both pleaded guilty to their roles in distributing thousands of pills containing fentanyl as part of a North Shore drug operation that pressed and distributed up to 100,000 counterfeit pills, were sentenced in federal court in Boston on Monday for their part in the drug ring.

The Department of Justice said Javier Bello, 29, of Beverly was sentenced to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release, while while his mother, Chevron Dorce, 45, of Lynn, was sentenced to 23 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after both pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges.

According to court documents, the son and mother were part of a conspiracy to sell tens of thousands of counterfeit drugs across the North Shore.

• 74K Fentanyl-, Meth-Laced Pills Seized In Major North Shore Drug Bust

In October 2022, Bello and Dorce were among 23 North Shore residents — including those from Beverly, Danvers, Salem, Peabody and Swampscott — charged in the drug trafficking bust that the U.S. Attorney's Office was responsible for distributing more than 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills across the North Shore that contained fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

"The practice of disguising fentanyl and other dangerous drugs as prescription medication is especially nefarious for the dangers it poses to unsuspecting users and the new addictions it fuels," now-retired State Police Superintendent Col. Christopher Mason said in a news release at the time. "I commend the DEA, our Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Trafficking Reduction and Enforcement task force, and the multiple partner agencies for their superb work interdicting this drug organization.

"The neighborhoods of the North Shore are safer today for their efforts."

According to court documents, Bello directed the distribution efforts of more than 1,000 pills to those in the Lynn area. Forensic analysis determined that 1,008 counterfeit oxycodone
pills contained fentanyl and that the seized pills weighed approximately 135.5 grams, according to the US DOJ.

In Oct. 2022, 2.5 kilograms, 22 grams of cocaine, a gun concealed in a piece of furniture and a pill press were discovered at Dorce's Lynn home, according to court documents.

Police said Bello and a co-conspirator, Melvin Nieves, were arrested at Logan Airport as they boarded a flight to California with the intent of purchasing marijuana. At the time of their arrests, Bello and Nieves were in possession of a combined total of $70,000 in cash.

Nieves pleaded guilty in October 2023 and was sentenced to 27 months in prison in January 2024.