Getting benched for more than four years, a key player in a vicious Boston gang's drug-peddling playbook is heading to prison. Michael Lopes, 35, identified by street moniker "Meech" and hailing from Pawtucket, R.I., was handed a 57-month sentence Monday for his role in a drug conspiracy, as announced by federal officials.
After pleading guilty this past February to a charge that roped him in with distributing and planning to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, Lopes found himself at the mercy of U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young. The sentencing caps a two-year investigation targeting the Cameron Street gang, which, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, pegged Lopes in cahoots with Anthony Centeio, alleged ringleader, and others.
Lopes and Centeio reportedly conducted their illegal sales across Boston, Braintree, and Pawtucket, hitching the attention of law enforcement agencies. A 2022 search in Lopes' residence turned up a drug stash with hefty amounts of cocaine base, cocaine, and meth, alongside the usual suspects of drug trade paraphernalia and a modest sum of $2,342 in cash.
The collaborative bust, triumphed by agents from an alphabet soup of enforcement—ATF, DEA, state police, and multiple district attorney's offices—attests to the wide-net approach of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative. This crackdown harmonizes the efforts of various agencies under one roof, creating a united front against the intricate webs spun by high-level drug traffickers as announced by acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and respective agency officials.
While Lopes is set to serve his time followed by three years of supervised release, the charges against his alleged comrades remain in the bracket of allegations as they await their fate in the courts. Innocence is the default until the gavel hits with a verdict of guilt beyond doubt, as the U.S. Attorney's Office reminds. The battle for the streets continues, with law enforcement claiming small victories in a much broader fight against the drug crises shadowing our communities.
