Robert Monteiro Convicted of Cocaine Conspiracy, Brockton MA, 2024

Brockton Man Convicted of Cocaine Conspiracy

A Brockton man has been convicted by a federal jury in connection with a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy that involved dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Robert Monteiro, 40, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Oct. 24, 2024.

In July 2021, Monteiro was indicted alongside 10 co-defendants. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy praised the work of investigators, saying, “Mr. Monteiro’s behaviors were dangerous and deceitful. These packages arriving from Puerto Rico were disguised as air fryers and cash boxes to pass though security checks, but they were filled with lethal drugs. The defendant and his co-conspirators failed to account for the capabilities of our federal, state and local investigators.”

Monteiro served as a member of Patrick Joseph’s drug trafficking organization, collecting packages and redistributing kilograms of cocaine that came in through the mail. Investigators intercepted 10 parcels and seized more than 20 kilograms of cocaine from the mail stream.

Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, said, “Robert Monteiro was part of a drug trafficking organization that coordinated a cocaine pipeline from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts through the U.S. Mail. His conviction highlights how committed the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our employees and the American people.”

Colonel John Mawn, Massachusetts State Police, added, “I applaud the tireless effort and the dedication of the investigators in this case. The MSP is grateful for our partnership with the United States Postal Inspectors Service, the DEA and the Boston Police Department. The results of this collaboration are reflected in the significant and positive impact that dismantling this Drug Trafficking Organization has had in making our communities safer.”

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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