Massachusetts man pleads guilty to federal drug and firearms charges

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A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and aiding and abetting the straw purchase of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in April 2021, Sergio Figueroa aka “Kash,” 29, conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, he used a residence in Bangor to store and distribute drugs. On April 21, 2021, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant on the Bangor residence. Upon searching Figueroa’s bedroom, agents found 80 grams of fentanyl and $1,680 in cash, along with a loaded .380 caliber pistol. Figueroa was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a prior Maine felony conviction.

Earlier, in a separate January 2020 incident, court records show that Figueroa arranged for a straw purchaser to buy two pistols for him from a federal firearm licensee in Androscoggin County. While purchasing the firearms, the straw purchaser responded “Yes” to a question on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form that asked whether the purchaser was the actual buyer of the firearms. In truth, the straw purchaser bought the firearms at Figueroa’s instruction, using money provided by Figueroa, and gave the firearms to Figueroa minutes after the sale. It is against federal law to aid and abet the provision of false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms from them.

On the drug conspiracy charge, Figueroa faces a minimum of five years in prison and up to 40 years, a $5 million fine, and four years of supervised release. On the firearms charges, he faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.

The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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