Christian Soares, also known by the nickname “Eazy,” has been handed a 12-year prison sentence for numerous offenses relating to firearms and drugs. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Soares was apprehended in 2019 after fleeing a traffic stop and discarding a backpack containing a firearm, ammunition, and drugs.
Soares, a 31-year-old resident of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young on July 18, 2024, following a guilty plea he entered in July 2023. The charges included two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and counts of possession with intent to distribute various drugs, among them cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDA. Notably, subsequent to his indictment and while on a pre-trail release that expressly prohibited him from possessing any firearms or controlled substances, Soares was once again found in possession of drugs and multiple firearms during a March 2021 search of his residence.
The investigation, which contributed to the eventual sentencing of Soares, was a coordinated effort involving numerous agencies. Commendations for the case's investigation and management have been directed toward agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Massachusetts State Police. There was also a collaborative input from the Suffolk, Norfolk, and Bristol County District Attorneys' Offices among other law enforcement bodies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O'Donnell played a significant role in prosecuting the case within the Organized Crime & Gang Unit.
This sentencing marks a success for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national initiative aimed at reducing gun violence and crime, which Soares' case falls under. The Department of Justice emphasizes commitment to a violence reduction strategy that champions community trust and strategic enforcement. More information about the initiatives that played a part in Soares' investigation and prosecution, including PSN and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), can be found on their respective websites. The OCDETF Program boasts a multi-agency approach that carefully coordinates to take down high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
