Eric Thomas ‘King E’ Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy

BOSTON — The self-proclaimed leader of the Rhode Island chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, Eric Thomas a/k/a “King E,” 46, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, admitting his role in a cross-state narcotics pipeline feeding the gang’s violent operations.

Thomas, arrested in December 2019 and long identified as the top authority within the Rhode Island Latin Kings, admitted during federal plea proceedings that in August 2019 he orchestrated a plan to buy bulk cocaine from members of the New Bedford Chapter for resale on the streets. The deal culminated days later on Sept. 4, 2019, when surveillance footage captured a co-conspirator receiving 186 grams of cocaine in a transaction Thomas facilitated.

The Latin Kings, described in court documents as a nationwide violent criminal enterprise, operate under a rigid national manifesto and internal hierarchy enforced through intimidation, internal discipline, and brutal retaliation. The gang relies heavily on drug trafficking to fund operations, using violence against rivals and witnesses to maintain control over territory and silence opposition.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars, a fine of up to $1 million, and a mandatory minimum of three years of supervised release — with the possibility of life under court supervision. Sentencing is set for Dec. 8, 2020, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel, who will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors in determining Thomas’s final punishment.

U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Massachusetts Department of Correction Commissioner Carol Mici, and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent jointly announced the plea. The investigation was powered by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force, with critical support from the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Mark Grady are prosecuting.

As this case moves forward, federal authorities stress that while Thomas has entered a guilty plea, all other defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The takedown marks another blow to the Latin Kings’ northeastern network, which federal prosecutors say thrives on fear, drugs, and systemic violence.

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