Steven Brown, Heroin Distribution, Massachusetts 2019

Steven Brown, a 27-year-old Chicopee man, has been accused of selling heroin in Massachusetts, a crime that carries a possible 30-year prison sentence and $1 million fine.

Brown pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin in federal court in Springfield. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2019.

On June 30, 2016, Brown sold 300 bags of heroin to a cooperating witness. Brown has previously been convicted in state court of drug distribution offenses six times between 2008 and 2013 and he was facing state drug charges at the time of this offense.

The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri; and Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

Brown’s guilty plea is a significant blow to the heroin trade in Massachusetts. Heroin distribution is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities. We will continue to work tirelessly to combat this issue and bring those responsible to justice.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts State Police, Springfield Police Department, and Holyoke Police Department.