Samael Mathieu Sentenced in NOB Gang Drug, Racketeering Case

Samael Mathieu, a 26-year-old Taunton man known as “Hamma” or “Hamma Thang,” was sentenced to 114 months in federal prison for his role in one of Boston’s most violent street gangs. The NOB gang, rooted in the Norton, Olney, and Barry streets of Dorchester, has long terrorized neighborhoods with a brutal mix of drug trafficking, armed robberies, and murder. Mathieu’s conviction marks a key blow in a sweeping federal crackdown targeting the gang’s inner circle.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin handed down the 9.5-year sentence, followed by four years of supervised release. Mathieu pleaded guilty in April 2022 to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The charges stem from his deep involvement in distributing fentanyl and supporting violent criminal operations under the NOB banner.

He is one of 10 defendants indicted together in June 2020, part of a massive federal operation that ultimately charged 31 NOB members and associates. Every one of Mathieu’s co-defendants has since pleaded guilty to a range of charges, with sentencing hearings scheduled over the coming months. The coordinated takedown reflects years of surveillance, wiretaps, and on-the-ground intelligence by federal and local law enforcement.

According to court documents, NOB operates as a violent criminal enterprise engaged in murder, attempted murder, illegal firearms possession, sex trafficking, and large-scale drug distribution. The investigation uncovered a disturbing arsenal: 11 firearms, over one kilogram of fentanyl — including more than 2,000 counterfeit oxycodone-style pills — a commercial pill press, 15 pounds of marijuana, and $36,000 in cash seized from various gang locations.

Mathieu was identified as a major fentanyl trafficker within the organization. On October 1, 2019, a search of a residence he used turned up fentanyl, prescription pills, Suboxone, drug packaging materials, and two loaded handguns. Evidence showed he supplied narcotics that fueled addiction and overdose across Greater Boston, all while backing the gang’s criminal infrastructure with violence and intimidation.

The sentencing was announced by a coalition of top law enforcement officials, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, ATF Special Agent James Ferguson, FBI Special Agent Joseph R. Bonavolonta, U.S. Marshal Bryan Kyes, and state and local sheriffs and police chiefs from across Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case, cementing one of the most significant convictions in Boston’s ongoing battle against street-level organized crime.