THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 Page 11 Nine suspects charged in large-scale cocaine conspiracy N ine individuals were recently charged in connection with a wide-ranging drug traffi cking conspiracy that involved dozens of parcels suspected of containing kilograms of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Reportedly, investigators intercepted eight parcels and seized more than 16 kilograms of cocaine from the mail. “We allege that the defendants received parcels sent via U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico and containing kilograms of cocaine – which we allege they then sold here in our communities. That’s illegal and dangerous, of course, and it is an aff ront to the hard-working public servants in the U.S. Postal Service,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Mendell. “The traffi cking conspiracy was detected and dismantled thanks to eff ective investigative work by the people who protect our mail system and by local and state law enforcement. Those investigators remain on the lookout, and the public should know that people who misuse and abuse public services for criminal schemes can expect to face justice.” “Today’s arrests are an example of our commitment and dedication to protect those we serve and to keep our communities safe from illegal drugs and those who seek to harm the public through their continued eff orts to break the law,” said the Acting Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Joshua McCallister. “These defendants allegedly used the mail to transport narcotics from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts and Rhode Island, introducing narcotics into the communities in which we all serve. This conduct will never be tolerated. Winning the battle against illicit drugs is a top priority for the Postal Service and the Inspection Service. Our objectives are to rid the mail of illicit drug traffi cking and the associated violence, preserve the integrity of the mail, and, most importantly, provide a safe environment for postal employees and Postal Service customers – the American public.” As alleged in the charging documents, since February 2020, law enforcement has been investigating a drug traffi cking organization operated by Patrick Joseph. Based on a wiretap investigation, it is alleged that Joseph coordinated the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine at a time from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and eventually to Massachusetts and Rhode Island via the U.S. Mail; during this investigation, the cocaine seized by investigators was found concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and locking cash boxes before being sent through the mail. Reportedly, investigators seized various fi rearms, 21 kilograms of cocaine and over $100,000 in cash. The following defendants AG Healey secures nearly $800K for consumers from auto lender A ttorney General Maura Healey recently announced that an automobile lender will provide nearly $800,000 in debt relief and refunds to Massachusetts consumers to settle allegations that it facilitated the sale of defective and unsafe vehicles by two used car dealerships in Westport and Fall River. In an assurance of discontinuance that was fi led in Suff olk Superior Court, United Auto Credit Corporation (UACC) has agreed to provide relief to consumers who purchased vehicles at F&R Auto in Westport and City Line Auto Sales, Inc. in Fall River and fi nanced loans through UACC. “For many consumers, buying a car is the largest purchase of a lifetime, and when it’s defective or inoperable, it can have catastrophic ripple eff ects on daily life and wellbeing, including employment, housing, and even health,” said Healey. “This settlement furthers our office’s mission to protect consumers from predatory and unfair practices and secures hundreds of thousands of dollars in relief for those victimized by this company.” UACC is a subprime automobile fi nance company that contracts with a network of automobile dealerships nationwide, including dealerships located in Massachusetts. UACC provides high-cost auto loans to consumers with poor credit histories through dealer-arranged agreements, and it fi nances these loans at the statutory maximum 21 percent interest rate. An investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office found that UACC facilitated the sale of defective and inoperable vehicles by F&R Auto and City Line by supplying the dealerships with fi nancing, despite knowing of hundreds of consumer complaints against the dealerships and of their high default and repossession rates. UACC also illegally required some consumers who had to voluntarily surrender their vehicles when they could not afford their payments to sign a Voluntary Surrender Agreement with broad release language that waived all recourse against UACC, while pursuing judgments against consumers who failed to pay their defi ciency balances after repossession. Under the terms of the settlement, UACC will release and forgive all unsatisfied debt and waive all uncollected defi ciency balances owed by Massachusetts consumers who purchased vehicles from F&R Auto and City Line and fi nanced them through UACC on or after October 5, 2014; waive all uncollected deficiency balances and refund payments toward defi - ciency balances for all Massachusetts consumers who voluntarily surrendered their vehicles to UACC by signing the release with broad waiver language; and repair these consumers’ credit with credit reporting agencies. UACC will also pay $250,000 to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Offi ce. UACC has undertaken substantial changes to its business practices and procedures to comply with Massachusetts law. This includes implementing new debt collection and wage garnishment processes and changing the way it conducts business with dealerships. This settlement is the latest action Healey has taken to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive practices in the sale and fi nancing of used autos. With respect to these two dealerships alone, the Attorney General has obtained more than $1.9 million in restitution and debt relief for consumers and with the lenders with whom they did business. Both F&R Auto and City Line are now out of business. UACC consumers who have questions or concerns about the settlement can contact the Attorney General’s hotline specifi cally designated for this case at 617-573-5336. were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base: • P atrick Joseph, 39, of Stoughton • Donald Cue, 36, of Randolph • Night Menard, 36, of Randolph • Christian Junior AlvaradoDeleon, 20, of Randolph • Oscar Nieves-Sosa, 20, a Dominican national residing in Hyde Park • Stiven Berrio Osorio, 21, a Colombian national residing in Chelsea • Robert Monteiro, 37, of Brockton • Patrick Snow, 43, of Harwich • Felix Baez-Munoz, 31, of Methuen, who remains a fugitive “The multiple kilos of cocaine intercepted through the combined work of these partner agencies would have, had they reached the streets, fueled despair and violence,” said State Police Colonel Christopher Mason. “The message to traffi ckers should be clear: the postal mail is not a safe route for you to distribute your poison and we will be as vigilant in interdicting that method of transport as we are with all other methods.” “The Boston Police Department continues to work in partnership with our federal partners to prevent and reduce violence in our communities,” said Boston Police Department Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long. “Today’s arrests and seizure of fi rearms and drugs is a testament to the strong working relationships that ultimately resulted in removing dangerous fi rearms and drugs off the street.” If the defendants are found guilty, they face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years and up to life of supervised release and a fi ne of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Statewide efforts begin to enforce fireworks regulations S tate Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey and State Police Colonel Christopher Mason recently announced that fi reworks enforcement eff orts have started. The State Police Bomb Squad is part of the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit (F&EIU) assigned to the Offi ce of the State Fire Marshal, which has already started working with local police and fi re departments to enforce the fi reworks laws and intercept fi reworks being brought into the state illegally. “It is illegal to bring fi reworks into Massachusetts, even if they were legally purchased elsewhere,” said Ostroskey. In communities throughout the Commonwealth, there has been a signifi cant rise in resident complaints regarding fi reworks. The State Police Bomb Squad had a 63 percent increase in response to fi reworks calls in 2020 over 2019. During the F&EIU 2020 fi reworks enforcement operation, there were 47 criminal summonses issued over a fourday period. This year’s enforcement operation has already started and will last longer. “In addition to special enforcement eff orts to intercept fi reworks coming into Massachusetts, troopers and local police will seize illegal fi reworks they fi nd during routine traffi c stops,” said Mason. “We don’t want a repeat of the huge increase in resident complaints we experienced last year.” “There will be supervised displays of fi reworks this year unlike last year, so we encourage you to leave the fi reworks to the professionals,” said Ostroskey. “Fireworks are illegal because they are dangerous. Fires started by fi reworks in Massachusetts increased 180 percent in 2020 from 2019.” In the past decade, there have been 941 major fi re and explosion incidents involving illegal fi reworks reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System. The incidents caused 12 civilian injuries, 42 fi re service injuries and an estimated monetary loss of $2.1 million, which is high considering that most fi reworks fi res are outdoor brush fi res. Additionally, 32 people were treated at Massachusetts emergency rooms for severe burn injuries from fi reworks (burns covering more than fi ve percent of the body) according to the Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting System. This does not include visits to hospital emergency rooms for eye injuries, amputations, puncture wounds or smaller burns. Forty-one percent of fi reworks-related burn injuries reported by hospitals to the Offi ce of the State Fire Marshal in the last 10 years were to children under age 18; 26 percent were to children under age 10.
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