Four Boston-area men are behind bars facing federal firearms charges tied to a drug-fueled gun pipeline in the Charlestown neighborhood. Samuel Jean, 22, of Everett; Deon Young, 32, of Hyde Park; Jeffrey Joseph, 31, of Boston; and Troy Armstrong, 27, of Boston, were arrested Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, following a months-long ATF-led investigation into illegal arms sales near the Bunker Hill Housing Authority.
Jean and Young were hit with charges of conspiracy and dealing in firearms without a federal license. Joseph faces the same firearm dealing charge plus being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. Armstrong was charged solely with being a felon in possession of firearms. All four sold weapons to a cooperating witness in controlled buys, according to court testimony—Jean and Joseph offloaded seven guns in one month, including at least one stolen weapon, while Young and Armstrong sold two, one with its serial number scratched off.
U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell found probable cause to hold Jean, Young, and Armstrong, ordering them detained pending trial after hearings Dec. 5 and 6. Joseph’s detention hearing is set for Dec. 12. Joseph and Armstrong are both banned from possessing firearms due to prior convictions, and Joseph is also subject to an active civil restraining order, court documents reveal.
“Every illegal firearm on the street poses a danger to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “We will continue to pursue those who circumvent the legal process to sell firearms on our streets thereby endangering the children and families who call these neighborhoods home.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley called the probe a direct strike at the nexus of guns and drugs. “The violence and despair associated with the drug trade have claimed too many lives,” Conley said. “In Charlestown and across Suffolk County, we will continue to work with our local and federal partners to protect the rights of good and decent people to live, work, and go to school free of fear and intimidation from drug dealers and armed offenders.”
Mickey D. Leadingham, ATF Special Agent in Charge, credited collaboration with the Boston Police Department’s Violent Youth Strike Force and the Boston Housing Authority Police. “Thursday’s arrests demonstrate the effective law enforcement partnerships ATF has with local agencies in identifying and investigating armed narcotic trafficking criminal street gangs,” Leadingham said. Each firearms conspiracy and dealing charge carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Felon in possession charges carry up to 10 years, with all sentences subject to federal guidelines.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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