Providence Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine

PROVIDENCE, RI - A Providence man who participated in a conspiracy to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Charles Bersch, 40, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Bersch pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as a charge of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to information presented to the court, in May 2022, a member of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force was conducting surveillance outside a Cranston residence as part of an ongoing FBI investigation. While outside the residence, the task force officer saw Bersch and another person, Peter Walkovich, 30, of Pepperrell, MA, arrive by car and enter the building. The task force officer had developed information that Walkovich was in possession of a significant quantity of methamphetamine.

After several minutes, Bersch and Walkovich left the residence with two other individuals and the four men drove off in the car that Bersch and Walkovich arrived in. An officer stopped the car a short distance from the residence. After making observations of suspicious behavior by Walkovich, the officer searched the care and found three backpacks , including one carried from the Cranston residence by Walkovich. Each backpack contained large quantities of methamphetamine. One of the backpacks contained $7,000 in cash. Four thousand dollars was also found inside the vehicle's spare tire compartment. Lab tests later determined that all of the meth seized was between 97% and 100% pure.

Walkovich pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on September 6, 2023, to 48 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

The matter was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, consisting of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. Attorney Cunha thanks the DEA for providing lab testing that determined the weight and the purity of the drugs seized.

###