A Boston man has been given a two-year prison sentence for charges related to illegal firearm possession, ammunition, and drug distribution, as per an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts. Herbert Small, 32, pleaded guilty back in April 2024 and will additionally be subjected to six years of supervised release following his incarceration.
The conviction came after Small was found to unlawfully sell 20 grams of cocaine and two guns to a cooperating witness on August 17, 2023. The firearms included were a .22 caliber revolver and a .40 caliber pistol, both accompanied by ammunition. On October 16, 2023, Small managed to again unlawfully distribute approximately 65 grams of cocaine base to the same witness. These transactions took place in Dorchester, and due to a prior federal drug conviction in 2017, Small was already prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
According to the Department of Justice, authorities highlighted the collaborative efforts that led to Small's arrest and sentencing. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick handed down the sentence while Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office, provided details on the case proceedings. Additional assistance came from the Boston Police Department, which played a role in the investigation that ultimately brought Small to justice.
The sentencing of Herbert Small is part of the broader initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing gun violence and enhancing safety in communities throughout the United States. The strategy, as mentioned by the DOJ, focuses on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence from occurring initially, and pursuing a focused enforcement agenda that is to strategically be measured by outcomes. The case was also a facet of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which tackles significant drug trafficking and criminal organizations through a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach.
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