Boston police say a Roslindale man is facing serious drug charges after a South Boston drug unit operation on April 23 turned up roughly 19 grams of fentanyl and other narcotics. Officers arrested 46-year-old Clevan Richards of Roslindale, who now faces state charges that include fentanyl trafficking in the 18-to-36-gram range and possession with intent to distribute both Class A and Class B substances. Prosecutors are also seeking a habitual criminal enhancement, and officials say Richards is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court.
According to the Boston Police Department, officers executed search warrants on Richards' person, his vehicle and his home at 865 American Legion Highway in Roslindale. Inside, investigators report finding packaging materials consistent with drug distribution, along with approximately 19 grams of fentanyl, about 9 grams of crack cocaine, 6 grams of cocaine and an undisclosed amount of cash. The department notes that the arrest was carried out by the South Boston Drug Control Unit with help from the D-14 Drug Control Unit and the DEA Fugitive Investigation Task Group.
How Police Say the Case Unfolded
The Richards arrest slots into what police describe as a wider pattern of targeted Drug Control Unit operations across Boston’s neighborhoods, where local DCU teams regularly partner with federal agencies for search-warrant work. Recent write-ups on the DCU pages highlight similar coordinated takedowns that turned up trafficking-level quantities of fentanyl and crack, underscoring the role of district units in responding to neighborhood complaints and trying to cut into street-level supply, according to the Boston Police Department.
Public-Health Backdrop
All of this is playing out against a backdrop where fentanyl remains the main driver of opioid harm in Massachusetts, even as the statewide death toll has dipped. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported about a 10 percent decline in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023 but warned that fentanyl, along with contaminants like xylazine, continues to make the street drug supply more volatile. In response, local public-health programs in Boston have expanded naloxone distribution and fentanyl-testing resources in an effort to keep more overdoses from becoming fatalities.
What Happens Next
According to the Boston Police Department, Richards faces multiple trafficking and distribution counts in addition to the habitual criminal enhancement. He is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court, where prosecutors will formally present the charges and lay out their bail recommendations. Richards, like anyone charged with a crime, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
