Drug Dealer Sentenced for Crack Cocaine Distribution

BOSTON – A Boston gang member has been sentenced for distributing crack cocaine in a Jamaica Plain housing development.

Cerone Davis, a/k/a “Jp,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year and one day in prison and six years of supervised release. Davis previously pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility.

In April 2017, Davis, a member of the Heath Street Gang, sold crack cocaine in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development. The investigation and arrests sought to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in and around the housing development for residents by removing individuals who trafficked drugs and/or were actively involved in violence and gang disputes.

Following a two-year investigation, Davis and eight co-defendants were charged in January 2018 in connection with illegal drug distribution and firearm possession. Davis was most recently arrested in Westbrook, Maine, and charged with sex trafficking after police responded to an advertisement on Backpage.com soliciting sex with a prostitute for $300. The contact information associated with the online advertisement was traced back to Davis.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. Assistance was also provided by the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Law enforcement officials are working to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in Boston’s public housing developments. This case highlights the importance of collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies in combating organized crime.