Mattapan Drug Kingpin Francisco Torres Indicted for Cocaine Distribution

BOSTON – The grim streets of Mattapan were shaken today as Francisco Torres, a 37-year-old local, was indicted in U.S. District Court on charges of distributing cocaine and conspiring with others to do the same.

According to law enforcement sources, Torres was caught red-handed during a sting operation in Boston’s South End neighborhood. On February 16, 2017, officers observed him trading an alarming 850 grams of cocaine for over $33,000 in cash. In a desperate bid to escape the clutches of justice, Torres threw the money over a fence moments after the deal.

Despite his efforts to evade capture, Torres was swiftly apprehended and charged. He was initially held on bond but later released, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.

The charges against Torres are severe: two counts of distributing cocaine carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison, along with a fine up to $5 million each. The conspiracy charge could see him behind bars for up to 20 years, facing a fine of $1 million. Actual sentences, however, are typically less than the maximum penalties, to be determined by a federal district court judge according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation leading to Torres’s downfall was a joint effort by several law enforcement agencies, including Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew Etre of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Christopher Wagner of the New Hampshire State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and John T. McNeil from Weinreb’s Criminal Division are leading the prosecution.

It is important to note that the details contained within the indictment are merely allegations, and Torres is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.