Federal Affidavit Unveils Major Drug Trafficking From NYC to RI on Amtrak Train

Federal Affidavit Unveils Major Drug Trafficking From NYC to RI on Amtrak Train

A federally filed affidavit in support of a criminal investigation unveils the alleged drug trafficking by a Rhode Island man using an Amtrak train to ”orchestrate a complex effort to move significant amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine.”

The affidavit filed in federal court outlines how the alleged dealer bought and sold tickets over and over to disguise his movement and how a drug-sniffing dog helped to lead to his arrest.

According to the affidavit by Alexandre Vilardo, a detective with the Amtrak Police Department (“APD”) and Task Force Officer (“TFO”) with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), he identified a Johnson man named Gabriel R. Penta, who operated this alleged scheme under the fictitious name “Keith Hunter.”

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The Case Begins With a Confidential Informant

“During the early months of 2026, I received information from a Confidential Source (“CS”) indicating that the CS had been communicating via Signal (phone/messaging app) with a New York-based narcotics supplier who identified himself as “KASH.” The CS reported that negotiations were being discussed for delivery of multiple pounds of crystal methamphetamine to Rhode Island, with the transaction expected to occur sometime during the month of April 2026. The CS advised that KASH would be bringing the methamphetamine to Rhode Island by train. The CS advised that KASH would likely be traveling under a fictitious name,” asserts Vilardo.

“The CS provided a photograph of KASH taken from a social media application and specified that the photograph resembled KASH. This CS has previously provided information in other investigations, and in those investigations the information he provided was found to be reliable,” writes Vidardo in his affidavit.

Further asserts Vilardo in affidavit, “The CS has previously been convicted on a charge of controlled substance possession. Separately, I interdicted the CS earlier this year carrying a controlled substance and the circumstances supported charging possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The CS is assisting law enforcement in the hope of obtaining favorable disposition of the charge arising from my interdiction.”

 

 

Zeroing in on “Keith Hunter”

According to the affidavit, “On April 22, 2026, I identified a suspicious Amtrak travel itinerary associated with an individual using the name Keith Hunter, who was scheduled to depart New York Penn Station at 1910 hours with an arrival time of 2217 hours in Providence, RI. This one-way reservation contained several indicators commonly associated with illicit travel, including the use of a unique email address (“[email protected]”). Further examination of the reservation revealed that the listed billing address contained a ZIP code inconsistent with the stated city. Checks on multiple person-identifier databases available to law enforcement for the name ‘Keith Hunter’ along with the provided date of birth yielded negative results.”

 

 

Refunded and Rebooked 12 Times

“I was able to monitor the identifiers used in the reservation for future travel. Over the course of an approximately 18-hour period, tickets were repeatedly refunded and rebooked across more than 12 different trains. On April 22, 2026, the same identifiers were ultimately used to purchase an Amtrak ticket scheduled to depart that day from New York Penn Station at 1240 hours, with an arrival time of approximately 1600 hours in Providence, Rhode Island,” wrote Vilardo.

 

 

Conductor Confirms “Keith Hunter”

“Approximately 30 minutes after departure, I confirmed through Amtrak systems that the ticket had been scanned by the conductor, which indicated that a passenger presenting himself as “Keith Hunter” was on board the train. Conductor information also included the seat and car in which that passenger was located as well as a description of what the passenger was wearing, specifically tan cargo pants, a white T-shirt, a black and white hat, and multiple gold chains. Conductor information also specified that the passenger was a white male. I, along with agents from the PDO, established surveillance at the station prior to the train’s arrival,” states Vilardo’s affidavit.

 

 

More Agents Engage

“When the train arrived [in Providence], Special Agents Sean Lively and Melissa Gillen, focused on the car specified by the conductor, observed a white male wearing the specified clothing and jewelry. The agents recognized the male as being consistent in appearance with the photograph of KASH provided by the CS. The agents observed this male disembark from the train carrying a backpack and suitcase,” according to Vilardo.

The person of interest matched the photo that CS had provided.

“Agents maintained surveillance on the male as he walked from the platform toward the station exit. I observed the male to be wearing the clothing and jewelry specified by the conductor, and I also noticed that he had a suitcase and backpack. I also recognized the male as being consistent in appearance with the photograph of KASH provided by the CS. TFO Chad Sousa and I, both dressed in plainclothes, approached the male and identified ourselves as law enforcement agents while displaying our badges. TFO Sousa and I were positioned side by side in front of the male, and I asked the male if I could speak with him. The male did not respond and instead walked straight between TFO Sousa and me, brushing both of us in the process. Shortly after, TFO Sousa, other law enforcement agents, and I detained the male.

 

 

“Garry” Makes a Positive Identification

“A short time later, K9 Officer Aaron Steer and his K9 partner, “GARRY,” a canine certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association in the detection of controlled substances that include both cocaine and methamphetamine, conducted an open-air sniff of the male’s belongings. The canine provided a positive indication on the backpack. TFO Sousa searched the backpack and found a clear plastic bag containing material consistent in appearance with cocaine. TFO Sousa searched the suitcase and found two clear plastic bags there each containing a crystalline substance consistent in appearance with methamphetamine. I arrested the male and read him his Miranda rights,” states Vilardo’s affidavit.

 

 

Testing Confirms

“Later, field testing of the substances in each bag in the suitcase indicated the presence of methamphetamine. The two plastic bags with their contents weighed approximately 4 pounds (over 1800 grams). I know from experience that the two bags are of negligible weight and therefore know that the substances in the bags, namely the methamphetamine, weigh well over 500 grams. I know based on my training and experience that such a large quantity of methamphetamine is consistent with distribution and unlikely to be kept solely for personal use. Field testing of the bag in the backpack indicated the presence of cocaine, and it weighed approximately 50 grams, including the weight of the bag,” states the affidavit.

 

“What Does It Look Like”

“After being taken into custody and transported to the PDO for booking and processing, the male subject was identified as Gabriel R. Penta. At the PDO, I again Mirandized Penta. I provided him a written rights form and observed him reading it and signing it, indicating that he understood his rights. I then questioned him. He told me that he was using a fake name when he purchased his train ticket. He said he was using that fake name because he had outstanding warrants in Rhode Island. He admitted to changing his train ticket many times prior to his arrival in Providence. He admitted to booking his tickets under the name “Keith Hunter.” He admitted to packing the backpack and suitcase and specified that he was the only one who had packed them. When asked what he had in his backpack and suitcase, he responded ‘What does it look like?” according to Vilardo’s affidavit.

 

 

Many Pending State Felony Charges

A GoLocal review of the Rhode Island court portal finds that he has outstanding warrants in Rhode Island courts for multiple felonies, including drug charges and a hit-and-run.