Lynn woman admits she helped distribute her drug-ringleader son's fake Percocet pills

Laurie Caruso, 51, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances for her role in a wholesale North Shore drug ring run by her son, Vinnie "Fatz" Caruso and his pals, including video mini-star Ernest "Yo Pesci" Johnson.

The three, along with a fourth person, arrested last June in a federal sweep dubbed "Operation Street Sweepah." Nabbed separately as part of the same North-Shore-based investigation were a pair of champagne-swilling lovebirds who sold guns north of Boston.

The US Attorney's office says:

Laurie Caruso admitted to being a primary distributor for the DTO [drug trafficking organization], which historically manufactured its own counterfeit fentanyl pills when it was based in Saugus. As described during today’s hearing, after interdiction by law enforcement, the DTO outsourced its manufacturing, and would receive deliveries of large quantities of fentanyl pills manufactured in Rhode Island. Once delivered, the DTO would repackage and distribute those pills for sale locally in communities North of Boston. Laurie Caruso admitted to trafficking over 30 kilograms of fentanyl, sold in the form of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Percocet pills containing pressed fentanyl. As part of her plea agreement, Laurie Caruso also agreed to forfeit over $100,000 in cash seized from the DTO that were the proceeds of drug trafficking.

The FBI alleges that helping distribute orders of the fake pills - pressed out of fentanyl - was mom's full-time job. The FBI also alleges that to help launder at least some of the money, the Carusos and Yo Pesci would travel to a New Hampshire casino and place "parlay" bets, typically of several thousand dollars apiece - but always well under the federal $10,000 reporting requirement - on the outcomes of several sporting events.

Fatz and Yo Pesci so far maintain their innocence. The fourth person pleaded guilty in September.

Laurie Caruso's sentencing is set for June 29. She faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 to 10 years, with a maximum possible penalty of life, the US Attorney's office reports.