BOSTON, MA – A youth baseball coach at a Hyde Park athletic academy faces felony drug trafficking charges after allegedly selling fentanyl to an undercover police officer, authorities announced this week.
Bryan Mejia, 31, of Mattapan, was arrested Tuesday on charges of trafficking more than 10 grams of fentanyl following an Oct. 19 sale to an undercover Boston police officer. Mejia coached youth baseball at the Boston Athletic Academy, an organization dedicated to developing pitching, hitting, fielding and base running skills in young players.
Police allege Mejia was smuggling fentanyl as part of an unnamed trafficking organization. The investigation culminated in his arrest nearly three weeks after the alleged drug sale.
In Massachusetts, trafficking fentanyl in amounts exceeding 10 grams constitutes a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of three-and-a-half years. The charge underscores the severity with which state law treats fentanyl distribution amid the ongoing opioid crisis.
During his arraignment Wednesday in the Roxbury division of Boston Municipal Court, Mejia pleaded not guilty to the charges. A judge released him on personal recognizance despite the serious nature of the allegations.
Court records indicate Mejia previously played professional baseball for the Fredericksburg Nationals, a Minor League team based in Virginia, before transitioning to youth coaching. His involvement with the Boston Athletic Academy placed him in direct contact with young athletes seeking to develop their baseball skills.
The Boston Athletic Academy has not issued a statement regarding Mejia’s employment status following the arrest. The organization typically works with youth players throughout the Boston area to enhance their athletic abilities.
Mejia is scheduled to return to court Dec. 1 for a hearing and appointment of counsel. Prosecutors are expected to present additional evidence as the case moves forward through the court system.
The arrest highlights ongoing efforts by Boston police to combat fentanyl trafficking in the city, where the synthetic opioid has contributed to numerous fatal overdoses in recent years.
