PROVIDENCE, RI — Lawrence M. Crowell, 32, of Providence, stood before a federal judge this week and admitted to dealing drugs and arming himself in one of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods. Crowell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking — charges rooted in a targeted ATF crackdown on gun-fueled drug activity in the Chad Brown housing complex.
The guilty plea stems from a December 2016 indictment tied to a year-long Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Providence Police. On November 17, 2016, a cooperating individual bought $900 worth of marijuana from Crowell inside his Chad Brown apartment. During the deal, Crowell pulled a Sig Sauer pistol from his pocket, handed it over for inspection, and bragged it was ‘legit.’ He also offered contact to another seller with more guns.
Four days later, on November 21, 2016, federal and local officers executed a court-approved search of Crowell’s residence. Inside a bedroom, they recovered nearly 363 grams of marijuana and the same Sig Sauer — loaded with 12 rounds of hollow point ammunition and equipped with a laser sight. In the attic, agents found a second weapon: a Ruger pistol secured with a gunlock, the key to which was on Crowell’s own keychain. The Ruger held six rounds of hollow point ammo.
Crowell, a convicted felon, has been held in federal custody since his arraignment on December 19, 2016. His admission in court this week seals his fate ahead of sentencing scheduled for May 16, 2018, before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. He faces mandatory minimums and years behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines for firearms offenses tied to drug trafficking.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. It was built through collaboration under Project Safe Neighborhoods — a federal initiative that unites ATF, state, and local agencies to dismantle violent crime networks. According to officials, the program has repeatedly proven effective in targeting repeat offenders and illegal gun flow in high-crime zones.
U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey Leadingham, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. jointly announced the plea. The ATF Task Force, which includes officers from Providence and Pawtucket Police, Rhode Island State Police, Cranston PD, Providence Fire, and the Department of Corrections, continues to monitor the Chad Brown area for retaliatory or replacement criminal activity.
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- Providence Drug Kingpin Jose Ignacio Goris Sentenced to Five Years · Rhode Island
- Providence Man Sold Machine Gun, Fentanyl-Laced Heroin · Rhode Island
- Buffalo Man Ortiz Faces Life Behind Bars in Drug & Gun Case · Rhode Island
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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