220 Pounds Of Drugs, Worth $8M, Seized In Mass; 'Largest Seizure' In State History: Feds 220 Pounds Of Drugs, Worth $8M, Seized In Mass; 'Largest Seizure' In State History: Feds
220 Pounds Of Drugs, Worth $8M, Seized In Mass; 'Largest Seizure' In State History: Feds Thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like candy, 20 pounds of cocaine, and more drugs than there are people in Massachusetts. That's what federal investigators laid out on a table Monday, Nov. 6, when they announced what is likely the biggest drug bust in history.  Emilio Garcia, 25, Sebastien Bejin, 33, and Deiby Felix, 40, all of Lynn, were charged with a litany of felonies following their arrests, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  US Attorney's Office Police began investigating the crew following an overdose death in Salem over the summer, investigators said. Officers surve…
Shrewsbury High Robotics Mentor Busted With Child Porn; Took Secret Pics Of Students: Feds Shrewsbury High Robotics Mentor Busted With Child Porn; Took Secret Pics Of Students: Feds
Shrewsbury High Robotics Mentor Busted With Child Porn; Took Secret Pics Of Students: Feds A 60-year-old Shrewsbury man who mentors teens with the Shrewsbury High School Robotics Team was caught with images and video of child sexual abuse material, authorities said. He also took clothed photos of underage girls while working at the school, officials said.  Brian Lingard is now facing a charge of transportation and possession of child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. Police arrested him on Monday, Oct. 30. Investigators said Lingard was returning from Paris on Oct. 19 when customs agents at Boston Logan International Airport found an SD car…
Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds
Man Conned 300 Mass Families To Pay For His Plastic Surgery, Vacations, Gambling: Feds The only thing the kids who signed up for MB Sports Camps learned about baseball was how to steal — but not bases.  Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Fla., was convicted last week after a six-day trial of two counts of wire fraud, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He was accused of stealing $380,000 from 303 families across the state and country and a $191,000 advance from an online payment company.  Belhassan ran the annual MB Sports Camps. In 2019, however, he collected parents' money like usual, but this time, ran away with it to pay for plastic surgery and "extravagant…
Western Mass Man Shared Child Porn Of Kid Under 12-Years-Old: Feds Western Mass Man Shared Child Porn Of Kid Under 12-Years-Old: Feds
Western Mass Man Shared Child Porn Of Kid Under 12-Years-Old: Feds A 25-year-old Amherst man was arrested Wednesday morning, Oct. 18, and charged with having and sharing child sexual abuse material last year, authorities said.  Bradley Driscoll faces one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  A federal indictment said that in August 2022, Driscoll had child sexual abuse videos that featured a kid under 12 years old.  Driscoll faces at least five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted, per federal sentencing guidelines…
Mass Teen Tried To Help ISIS In Terrorist Group's War Against 'Disbelievers': Feds Mass Teen Tried To Help ISIS In Terrorist Group's War Against 'Disbelievers': Feds
Mass Teen Tried To Help ISIS In Terrorist Group's War Against 'Disbelievers': Feds An 18-year-old Middlesex County man has been charged with helping raise money for the terrorist group ISIS, federal authorities announced.  Mateo Ventura, 18, of Wakefield, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston this week on the charge of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Investigators said Ventura provided multiple gift cards worth $700 to someone he believed was an ISIS supporter. The gift cards would be sold on the dark web for less than their face value, wi…
Boston Sex Offender Who Flashed Woman While Delivering Package Admits To Threatening Her: Feds Boston Sex Offender Who Flashed Woman While Delivering Package Admits To Threatening Her: Feds
Boston Sex Offender Who Flashed Woman While Delivering Package Admits To Threatening Her: Feds A registered sex offender who was out on supervised release when he allegedly flashed his penis to a woman while working as an Amazon driver admitted he tried to intimidate the woman into not testifying against him, authorities said.  Mark Pinnock, 32, of Boston, was convicted of sex trafficking in 2014 and spent eight years in prison, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. Shortly after his release in July 2022, investigators said he flashed his genitals to a female custodian at a condominium complex as he dropped off a package.  Federal officials moved to strip Pinnock of his s…
Child Porn: Salem Man Admits To Sharing Pics Of Kids As Young As 12, Feds Say Child Porn: Salem Man Admits To Sharing Pics Of Kids As Young As 12, Feds Say
Child Porn: Salem Man Admits To Sharing Pics Of Kids As Young As 12, Feds Say A 35-year-old Salem man pleaded guilty last week to keeping and distributing child sexual abuse material, federal officials said.  Andrew R. Sorrento admitted to the two charges and faces a potential 40-year prison sentence for his crimes, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Police began tracking Sorrento in July 2022 after investigators identified him as a person sharing child sexual abuse material on social media posts and in text messages, the prosecutor said.  Officers searched his home in December and seized his cell phone, which contained 23 images of children bei…
Social Media Fail: Boston Felon Back In Prison After Viral Upload, Feds Say Social Media Fail: Boston Felon Back In Prison After Viral Upload, Feds Say
Social Media Fail: Boston Felon Back In Prison After Viral Upload, Feds Say Social media has the power to turn someone into a hero, a villain, a star, or a prisoner. That's something one Boston felon found out this week when he was convicted of a crime he documented on Snapchat.  Dane Mitchell, 32, of Boston and Revere, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He was out on supervised release from a 2018 firearms conviction and is not allowed to have a gun.  Mitchell was arrested in December 2021 after federal agents investigating a gang came across a Snapchat account that…
Bomb Threat: Western Mass Woman Admits To Making Call To Boston Children's Hospital Bomb Threat: Western Mass Woman Admits To Making Call To Boston Children's Hospital
Bomb Threat: Western Mass Woman Admits To Making Call To Boston Children's Hospital Days after posts from a controversial Twitter account last year called out Boston Children's Hospital's work with transgender teenagers, the renowned institution was bombarded with hate from those opposing gender-reaffirming care. One of those people was a Westfield woman who has now admitted to calling in a bomb threat, authorities said.  Catherine Leavy, 37, pleaded guilty this week to one count of making a false bomb threat and one count of intentionally conveying false or misleading information that a bomb was on the way to Boston Children’s Hospital, the US Attorney for Massachuset…
Ex-Stoneham Detective With History Of Scamming Landlords Pleads Guilty To Fraud: Feds Ex-Stoneham Detective With History Of Scamming Landlords Pleads Guilty To Fraud: Feds
Ex-Stoneham Detective With History Of Scamming Landlords Pleads Guilty To Fraud: Feds A former Middlesex County police detective admitted to lying and submitting false paperwork to get an apartment and then stiffing his landlord on payments, federal authorities said.  Robert Kennedy, 54, of Stoneham, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud on Wednesday, Sept. 20, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces a potential 40-year prison term, though he will likely get far less.   Kennedy has a history of scamming landlords. He would lie on his applications to obtain a lease agreement and, after moving in, not pay…
Man Used Kids Toys, Disney Items, Halloween Decorations To Smuggle Drugs Into Mass: Feds Man Used Kids Toys, Disney Items, Halloween Decorations To Smuggle Drugs Into Mass: Feds
Man Used Kids Toys, Disney Items, Halloween Decorations To Smuggle Drugs Into Mass: Feds A Rhode Island man who pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to move methamphetamines throughout the United States using children's toys and other seemingly mundane items was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday, Sept. 19, authorities said.  Nathan Boddie, 38, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, admitted that he and two others began smuggling methamphetamines, fentanyl, and cocaine from Arizona into Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and elsewhere in April 2022, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  They accomplished this by hiding the drugs inside children's toys, Halloween de…
Man Who Shared Nude Images Of Kids As Young As 3 In Western Mass Gets 7 Years In Prison: Feds Man Who Shared Nude Images Of Kids As Young As 3 In Western Mass Gets 7 Years In Prison: Feds
Man Who Shared Nude Images Of Kids As Young As 3 In Western Mass Gets 7 Years In Prison: Feds A 42-year-old Hampden County man who admitted to sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover officer was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 14, to seven years in federal prison, authorities said.  Robert Avrett, of Ludlow, was charged with distribution and possession of child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He'll serve five years of probation after he's released.  Investigators said Avrett shared photos and videos of child sexual abuse material over the social messaging app Kik, featuring children as young as 3 years old. He sent several videos to an…