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Pittsfield Man Sentenced for Marijuana and Tax Offenses
BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for marijuana and tax offenses.
Jacob Sweener, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of supervised release, with the first six months served in home confinement.
Sweener was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 and restitution of $90,344.
From 2013 to January 2017, Sweener conspired with others to distribute marijuana. A search of Sweener’s residence on Jan. 10, 2017, resulted in the seizure of 41 pounds of marijuana and over $69,000 in cash.
Sweener also filed false income tax returns for tax years 2014 and 2015 by substantially underreporting his income by more than $300,000 and failing to pay more than $90,000 that he owed in federal income taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Tax Division; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Christopher O’Donnell of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
In a shocking turn of events, Jacob Sweener, a Pittsfield resident, was found guilty of marijuana trafficking and tax offenses. The defendant’s crimes date back to 2013 when he began conspiring with others to distribute marijuana.
A search of Sweener’s residence on January 10, 2017, resulted in the seizure of 41 pounds of marijuana and over $69,000 in cash. The defendant also filed false income tax returns for tax years 2014 and 2015, substantially underreporting his income by more than $300,000 and failing to pay more than $90,000 in federal income taxes.
Jacob Sweener, a 31-year-old resident of Pittsfield, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, with the first six months served in home confinement. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 and restitution of $90,344.
On March 19, 2021, Sweener pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and two counts of filing a false tax return.
The case was announced by Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Tax Division; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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