Boston Federal Cocaine Case
Criminal Charges:
Man charged in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) and 846
City, State, County and Court:
Boston, Massachusetts, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Case Overview:
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a network of drug distributors that were operating in Southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Authorities obtained arrest warrants for 14 individuals. Wiretap recordings were used to identify one of the suppliers to the network who agents knew from prior drug investigations and the man’s federal criminal history. Based on these new wire recordings and other evidence, this supplier was among the group of people arrested and charged. In addition to new federal drug trafficking charges, the man was also accused of violating the terms of his supervised release, which related to a former drug trafficking conviction. He was charged in United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He initially faced a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years or 180 months, if convicted of the originally indicted offense, due to a sentencing enhancement the government filed pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 851. The man retained Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, to defend him in this matter.
Case Result: 46 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and a fine.
Attorney Calcagni and his client demanded a trial. The weekend before jury selection, the government came to the bargaining table and sought to resolve the case with a plea agreement, to avoid a trial. Of the 14 people that were indicted, this man was the only defendant who demanded a trial. Attorney Calcagni successfully negotiated a plea agreement on the man’s behalf that resulted in a reduction of his original charges, which effectively eliminated any mandatory minimum jail sentence. After pleading guilty to the reduced charge, the man was sentenced to serve 46 months, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a fine.