BOSTON – Lisa Guillemette, 42, of Fall River, admitted today to playing a key role in a drug smuggling operation that funneled contraband into the Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ). Guillemette pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam, facing up to a decade behind bars.
The case, cracked by federal investigators, reveals a network built within the prison walls. Guillemette, the ex-wife of inmate William Guillemette, 39, worked alongside her former mother-in-law, Margaret Guillemette, 58, also of Fall River, to supply the illegal substances. The scheme originated with Chad Connors, 42, also an inmate at MCI-CJ, and exploited a relationship with Christine Ramos, a nurse assigned to the prison’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU).
Connors allegedly leveraged his romantic involvement with Ramos, convincing her to open two P.O. Boxes under another person’s name. He then directed funds and letters to these boxes. At the direction of William Guillemette, Lisa and Margaret Guillemette procured Suboxone and Alprazolam, sending the drugs to Ramos via the P.O. Boxes. Ramos, in turn, smuggled the contraband into the DDU, delivering it directly to Connors. The operation wasn’t altruistic; Connors and William Guillemette allegedly distributed the drugs to other inmates, who paid for them by sending checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette – a clear profit motive fueling the illicit activity.
This isn’t the first conviction in the case. William Guillemette and Margaret Guillemette have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Ramos received two years of probation in April 2019 after admitting to her role in the conspiracy. The bust highlights the persistent challenge of keeping drugs out of correctional facilities and the lengths to which inmates – and their associates – will go to obtain them. Suboxone and Alprazolam are both Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively, underlining the seriousness of the charges.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani has scheduled Lisa Guillemette’s sentencing for August 22, 2019. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and potential forfeiture of assets. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Andrew E. Lelling, emphasizes that the sentencing will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Commissioner Carol Mici, and Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin all contributed to the takedown. The case is being prosecuted by Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit. It’s crucial to remember that the details in charging documents represent allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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