By A federal jury has convicted a Chicopee man for his role in a widespread cocaine distribution network spanning Eastern and Western Massachusetts.
Vicente Gonzalez, 51, was found guilty on October 3, 2024, following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court. The charges include one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Gonzalez received multiple kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico. He accepted deliveries at his Chicopee residence and another address in West Springfield. Gonzalez then distributed the cocaine to co-conspirators in the Chicopee/Springfield area and New Bedford.
A crucial piece of evidence came from a July 29, 2019 search of Gonzalez’s home, where law enforcement seized two kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $60,000. The drugs were discovered in the basement, directly beneath a laundry chute connected to Gonzalez’s laundry room.
Gonzalez was among 13 individuals indicted in December 2019 as part of a larger criminal enterprise investigation. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper has scheduled sentencing for January 8, 2025.
Each conviction carries a potential sentence of five to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years of supervised release, and fines up to $5 million. The final sentence will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced the conviction alongside Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira.
The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency task force under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. This initiative combines federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to combat major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hassink and Nathaniel Yeager from the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. The Massachusetts State Police and the Chicopee and Holyoke Police Departments provided valuable assistance during the investigation.
The OCDETF program aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
DOJ
