Security News: Lowell Career Offender Indicted on Firearms and Drug Offenses

BOSTON – A Lowell man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on firearms and drug offenses.

Ricardo Colon, 34, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging document, on March 21, 2022, Colon was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution as well as firearms and ammunition: a .22 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, multiple gun magazines and 140 rounds of ammunition. Colon is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous felony convictions.

The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Barry Golner, Interim Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.