A Boston man associated with the Heath Street Gang is on his way to federal prison for drug trafficking within a local public housing development. Michael Van Rader, 24, has been sentenced to 22 months behind bars, to be followed by a lengthy six-year term of supervised release, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts.
Van Rader's case concluded yesterday, where U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper delivered the verdict, after Rader pleaded guilty in April to a charge of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. The incident that led to his conviction took place last fall, on September 3, 2023, specifically in Jamaica Plain's Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, a property from where he had previously been barred by the Boston Housing Authority and at that time, Van Rader was also on probation for a state firearm-related conviction.
The investigation that brought Van Rader to justice involved multi-agency cooperation, including efforts by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Boston Police Department, and local authorities from the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, supported by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and special agents.
The local community around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments has long been contending with issues stemming from gang-related activity and drug trafficking. The sentencing of Van Rader is a part of ongoing efforts to disrupt these illegal enterprises.
