Cameron Street Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Racketeering & Drug Charges
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 7:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BOSTON, MA.- On Thursday, January 16, 2025, James Rodrigues, 34, of Boston, Massachusetts, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to a Racketeering Conspiracy; and Conspiracy to the Distribution of Cocaine.
Following entering his guilty pleas on Thursday, Judge Young accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2025, at which time Rodrigues, on the racketeering conspiracy, faces up to 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. For the charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, Rodrigues faces up to 20 years in federal prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the actual term of imprisonment based on the offenses’ seriousness and Rodrigues’ prior criminal history.
According To U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy
According to U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and charging documents filed with the District Court, Rodrigues was identified as a member of the Cameron Street violent street gang based primarily in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts. The gang uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and expand its territory and promote a climate of fear to enhance the gang’s reputation. Cameron Street members use firearms to murder and assault rival gang members and associates, as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds.
Rodrigues worked with other Cameron Street gang members to distribute hundreds of grams of cocaine and crack cocaine from “stash houses” in Somerville, Massachusetts. On April 15, 2022, during an ongoing investigation into the gang’s narcotics distribution operation, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at one of the stash houses in Somerville. During the search, investigators uncovered and seized 398 grams of cocaine along with packaging items, two hydraulic presses, a digital scale, a cell phone, and $14,986 in U.S. currency in denomination consistent with narcotics sales.
U.S. Attorney Levy commended the investigative work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for the investigation, arrest, and Rodrigues’ guilty plea.
