Six individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills, according to charging documents. The defendants are accused of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills.
The individuals arrested and indicted include John Campbell of Taunton, Kenneth Veiga of Abington, Michael Atwood of Carver, Austin Gonsalves of Fall River, Scott Lambert of Falmouth, and Christan Russell of Tomball, Texas. The investigation into Campbell began in April 2022 after law enforcement received information about his alleged distribution of oxycodone pills.
During the investigation, intercepted communications revealed that Campbell distributed oxycodone pills to Atwood and Lambert, who then redistributed them to others. In February 2023, law enforcement stopped Lambert in Bourne, where they found 73 oxycodone pills hidden in a Krazy Glue container inside his vehicle.
The charging documents also alleged that Russell obtained oxycodone pills from pharmacies in the Houston area and traveled to Boston to distribute the pills to Veiga, who then redistributed them to Gonsalves. Flight records reportedly show that Russell traveled to Boston multiple times in 2023 to meet with Veiga and distribute the pills in different locations, including a casino in Rhode Island and a hotel in Brookline.
If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Additionally, the indictment includes a drug forfeiture allegation, targeting various assets including luxury vehicles, firearms, and close to $1 million in U.S. currency.
The announcement about the indictment and arrests was made by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Brian D. Boyle, Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police John E. Mawn Jr., Falmouth Police Chief Jeffrey A. Lourie, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Ketty Larco-Ward, and Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations in Boston Harry Chavis, Jr.
The investigation received assistance from several other law enforcement agencies, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, and various local police departments and offices.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organizations. The OCDETF program follows a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, and multi-agency approach to combat threats to the United States.
It is important to note that the details provided in the charging document are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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