A Boston man with a history of crime has once again found himself on the wrong side of the law following his indictment on firearm, ammunition, and drug offense charges, as per a federal grand jury. Herbert Small, a 22-year-old from Boston, has been arraigned today, facing serious charges brought forward by the authorities, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts reports.
Working on a prior federal drug conviction from 2017, Small was barred from possessing firearms and ammunition. However, the indictment alleges he sold a .22 caliber revolver and a .40 caliber pistol, along with 11 rounds of ammunition, to a cooperating witness on August 17. In the operations, the cooperating witness was again sold around 70 grams of crack cocaine by Small on October 16, confirming his involvement in the distribution of controlled substances.
Following the indictment, Small could be staring down the barrel of a long prison sentence, with the firearm possession charge alone carrying a potential penalty of 15 years. Drug distribution carries its own hefty punishment, with the possibility of 20 years behind bars. Each count also carries the potential for supervised release and significant fines, indicating a future mired in the justice system for the young Boston man.
Small's legal troubles play into a broader narrative of combating crime in the community with Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office, and the Boston Police Department proving instrumental in the ongoing efforts, as per the official press release. Assisting on this particular case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Lucy Sun of the Office’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit.
This case falls under the Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, collaborative efforts that pool resources at various levels to tackle violent crime and facilitate the dismantling of significant criminal threats. While these charges against Small are currently allegations, the criminal justice system is poised to press forward, carrying the heavy weight of potential consequences that hang over the accused's head, pending the outcome of his trial.
