A Carver man, Michael Atwood, 37, has entered a guilty plea in federal court to charges related to an oxycodone distribution conspiracy. According to a statement released by the Department of Justice, Atwood pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2024, and is now facing sentencing in March 2025. This case comes as part of an effort by law enforcement agencies to address the opioid crisis that continues to grip the nation.
The prosecution's case details how Atwood obtained large quantities of oxycodone pills, ranging from hundreds to more than a thousand at a time, for redistribution. John Campbell, a co-defendant in the case, supplied Atwood with the narcotics between November 2023 and June 2024. On July 12, 2023, authorities confiscated approximately $63,000 in cash from Atwood's residence during a search, revealing the monetary scale of the operation. Campbell, who has also pleaded guilty, is expected to receive his sentence on Jan. 15, 2025.
Atwood's conviction carries a heavy potential penalty under federal law. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills could lead to up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Exact sentences are at the discretion of a federal district court judge and are based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory considerations.
Several agencies played a role in the investigation leading up to this guilty plea, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. The collaboration highlights the multi-agency approach taken by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, which aims to disrupt and dismantle significant criminal organizations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division, and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, with the collective effort underscoring the seriousness with which the federal government is engaging the opioid epidemic's pervasive threat.
