Source: United States Department of Justice News
BOSTON – Ten members and associates of NOB, a Boston-based street gang, have pleaded guilty over the last several weeks in federal court to various crimes, including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, drug trafficking and illegal firearms charges. The final two defendants pleaded guilty last week. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencings for various dates in September and November 2022.
The 10 defendants were indicted in June 2020 as part of a federal sweep targeting numerous NOB street gang members and associates. According to court records, NOB – an abbreviation for the Norton/Olney/Barry streets in Dorchester – is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in numerous types of criminal activities, including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal firearms offenses. While the gang is based in the Boston, its criminal activity has spanned across other communities, including Randolph, New Bedford, Stoughton, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Taunton and Cape Cod, as well as Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut.
NOB members and associates use violence against rival gangs and witnesses to maintain and enhance their status and overall reputation, as well as to protect the gang’s power, reputation and territory. Members and associates assist each other with obtaining firearms and maintaining drug trafficking connections. NOB members and associates use various means to identify themselves as such, including gang-related hand signs, clothing and tattoos. Additionally, they create and publish gang-related videos used to promote NOB and further its activities.
Over the past several years, NOB members and associates committed multiple acts of violence, many of which targeted rival gang members, and engaged in drug trafficking activity involving fentanyl (in powdered form and counterfeit oxycodone pills), cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), marijuana and various types of prescription pills, including opioids, throughout Massachusetts. In addition, NOB members and associates illegally possessed firearms and ammunition, several of which were seized during the investigation.
In addition to multiple historical firearm and drug recoveries by local law enforcement partners pursuant to search warrants executed during the course of this investigation, law enforcement seized numerous contraband items including 11 firearms, over one kilogram of fentanyl (including over 2,000 fentanyl pills manufactured to appear as commercial oxycodone pills), a commercial pill press, over 15 pounds of marijuana and approximately $36,000 in cash.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory P. Long; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr.; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III; and Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
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- Michael Brandao, a/k/a “G Fredo,” and “Frizzblock Fredo,” 21, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Kelvin Barros, a/k/a “Kal” or “7981 Kal,” 26, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
- Ricky Pina, a/k/a “Blake,” 25, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- David Rodriguez, a/k/a “D,” 36, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Wilson Goncalves-Mendes, a/k/a “Dub,” 26, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Joshua Teixeira, a/k/a “Trouble,” 27, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Joseph Gomes, a/k/a “Joey” or “J-Money,” 26, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- Samael Mathieu, a/k/a “Hamma” or “Hamma Thang,” 25, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Darius Bass, a/k/a “Tre” or “Trigga Tre,” 28, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.
- Damian Cortez, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.