A Turkish national, who helmed a massive meth operation that peddled poison across the United States, is set to face the music after pleading guilty to a slew of heavy-duty charges. Reshat Alkayisi, 62, of Covington, R.I., admitted to running an interstate methamphetamine trafficking ring, wielding illegal firearms, and cleaning his dirty money in federal court in Boston, as per a Department of Justice release.
Federal agents managed to pull in over 160 pounds of meth during the investigation. Found during a bust at Alkayisi's hideout, agents uncovered an AK-47, a serial number-less Glock, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns, a stockpile of 4,200 rounds of ammo, and an illicit marijuana farm. The big fish is scheduled for sentencing on July 11, the U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton set the date yesterday, with prison time stretching potentially for life.
The fall of Alkayisi began with an October 2020 tip-off about a Boston area drug lord's activities. Over several months, a dozen controlled purchases of meth brought the law to Alkayisi's doorstep, with some deals directly tied to the kingpin himself. Immense hauls of meth were snagged from his stooge, Brian Keleman, at a UPS store in Rhode Island—gone were 100 pounds of pure meth meant to spread like wildfire through New England's veins.
When they moved onto Alkayisi's residence, agents struck gold, uncovering a firestorm cache of weapons, over $23,000 in cash, and a computer ledger that laid bare over half a ton of meth exchanges from January through June of 2021. According to the DOJ report, Alkayisi wasn't operating solo—seven have pled guilty, and others are in line to admit their involvement in this syndicate.
With charges including conspiracy to distribute meth amounting to more than 500 grams, possession of firearms during drug trafficking, and money laundering, the man faces a possible life sentence, hefty fines, and a stacked minimum mandatory sentence for the firearms charge alone. The case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation that leveraged local, state, and federal resources to dismantle the network.
While charges against the remaining defendants are allegations at this point, facts will shape their fates in a court of law as they approach their plea days. The collaborative effort of multiple departments, including the FBI and DEA, illuminates the extent of the crackdown on one of the most formidable drug rings to hit New England.
