Member of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Drug Trafficking Offenses
BOSTON – A Boston-area man has pleaded to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Devante Lopes, a/k/a “D-Lopes,” 30, of Boston and Quincy, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy); conspiracy to distribute marijuana; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Oct. 3, 2024.
According to court documents, the Cameron Street gang is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in a variety of criminal activities – including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, carjackings, home invasions, human trafficking, as well as drug and firearms trafficking, among other offenses – in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and surrounding areas. It is alleged that Cameron Street members use violence against rival gangs and witnesses, typically with the use of firearms, to maintain and enhance their status and the overall reputation of the gang, as well as to protect the gang’s power, reputation and territory. Members engage in drug trafficking activity and distributed kilograms of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), oxycodone and marijuana throughout Massachusetts. During the investigation, 21 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were allegedly seized from 11 of the defendants.
Lopes was identified by several cooperating witnesses as a member of Cameron Street. From 2019 through 2020, Lopes regularly received large quantities of marijuana from California, for which he shipped packages containing between $40,000 to $50,000 in cash in exchange.
During a search of Lopes’ residence in April 2022, 800 grams of cocaine was seized from inside a bench by his bed. Also discovered during the search were two hidden compartments in Lopes’ apartment, including one concealed inside a shelf that contained approximately $5,000 in cash, a box of ammunition and foam cut-outs for a firearm. The second hidden compartment was found inside a mirror and contained a foam insert.
The charge of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence each provide 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 marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of $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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; United States Postal Inspection Service; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
