BOSTON, MA – Paulo Santos, a 35-year-old member of the notorious Cameron Street gang, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison today for racketeering, drug trafficking, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentencing follows a lengthy investigation into the gang’s violent activities in the Dorchester section of Boston.
According to federal prosecutors, Cameron Street operates through intimidation and violence to maintain control of its territory and expand its criminal enterprise. Members routinely use firearms to assault rivals and protect their drug operations. Santos, known on the streets as “Bucky,” played a direct role in this violence, participating in a brutal assault on a member of a rival gang outside the Dorchester District Court on December 6, 2019.
The attack, captured on Snapchat, shows Santos chasing and repeatedly punching and kicking the victim while shouting for another gang member to join in. The victim shielded his face as he was battered, and Santos and his accomplice then stole the victim’s sneakers as a trophy. The video, laced with gang slogans and threats, was circulated online, further escalating tensions.
When authorities moved in to arrest Santos, they raided a stash house in Hingham and seized a significant haul of contraband: approximately 900 grams of cocaine, 500 grams of marijuana, a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, and $15,597 in cash. This isn’t Santos’ first brush with the law regarding firearms; he previously served a four-to-five-year state prison sentence for an unlawful firearm possession conviction.
Santos pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (RICO conspiracy), possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young handed down the 10-year sentence, followed by four years of supervised release.
The case was a collaborative effort led by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, and involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Boston Police Department, along with several other state and local agencies. The operation was conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, aimed at dismantling major criminal organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Organized Crime|Weapons|Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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