Jaquan Casanova, Witness Tampering by Attempting to Kill, Massachusetts 2016

Jaquan Casanova, a 24-year-old Dorchester man also known as “Cass,” “Joffe,” “Joffy,” and “Joffy Joe,” was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after a failed assassination attempt on a suspected federal witness. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper handed down the sentence yesterday, marking the end of a high-stakes federal prosecution tied to a sprawling multi-state criminal enterprise.

The shooting occurred April 30, 2013, when Casanova ambushed Darian Thomson, known as “Bo,” shooting him in the head at close range in Boston. The motive: to stop Thomson from communicating with federal law enforcement. At the time, Casanova and his associates, including ringleader Raymond Jeffreys, wrongly believed Thomson had cut a deal with authorities after being released from custody in New Jersey. In reality, Thomson had not cooperated — but the fear of exposure was enough to trigger a violent retaliation.

Casanova was convicted in June 2016 following a seven-day trial on charges of witness tampering by attempting to kill and lying to a federal agent about his role in a sex trafficking ring. The organization, led by Jeffreys, operated across 13 states—from Massachusetts to California—trafficking women and minors through coercion, manipulation, and threats of murder. Victims were often poor, homeless, or already trapped in prostitution, lured by false promises of care and stability.

Jeffreys used a calculated playbook: provide shelter or drugs only in exchange for prostitution, control movements, and instill terror. He even trained other men in trafficking tactics and partnered with so-called “p partners” to share cars, hotel rooms, and online ad payments for escort services. The ring ran from 2006 until its collapse in May 2014, leaving behind a trail of exploited lives and shattered communities.

Raymond Jeffreys himself pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and witness tampering and was sentenced to 30 years on May 19, 2016. Authorities say the network’s paranoia about informants led directly to Casanova’s attack on Thomson. “Mr. Casanova attempted to take a man’s life in order to ensure his silence,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “Witness tampering not only impacts a criminal case, it shakes the very core of our justice system.”

“Attempting to coerce the legal system through intimidation and murder has very serious consequences,” added Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Boston. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Boston Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Homicide Units, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Harman Burkart and David D’Addio, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David S. Bradley, prosecuted the case. Casanova will also face five years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Organized Crime

Margarito Ruiz-Aguillon, Unlawful Reentry, California 2023

Nov 17, 2021

Organized Crime

Miami's Suave Bootleggers: Trading in Booze, Not Business Cards

Dec 21, 1924

Organized Crime

Del La Rosa Sanchez, Racketeering, Massachusetts 1981

Jan 15, 1981

Organized Crime

Maliu Tauheluhelu, Drug Trafficking, Hawaii 2022

Aug 21, 2023