A Worcester man is headed to federal prison after being caught in a sprawling drug trafficking ring dealing in deadly fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Robert Young, 50, was sentenced to five years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges in a case that exposed a hidden stash of narcotics and a loaded firearm embedded in a city building’s walls.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman handed down the sentence yesterday in Boston, marking the end of a years-long investigation into Young and his co-conspirator, Daniel Donald. The two men had been under surveillance since April 2017 for suspected drug sales on Groton Street — a quiet residential block turned open-air narcotics market. Their operation unraveled in dramatic fashion when, on November 30, 2017, law enforcement uncovered a concealed compartment between the interior and exterior walls of a property.
Inside that hidden cavity, agents seized one kilogram of cocaine, 345 grams of heroin, over 80 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 200 fentanyl-laced pills, and a loaded 9 mm handgun. The discovery confirmed what investigators long suspected: this was no petty street-level hustle, but a high-volume distribution network flooding Worcester with lethal drugs during the height of the opioid crisis.
Young admitted guilt in October 2018, pleading to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base and fentanyl. But his co-defendant, Daniel Donald, fought the charges — only to be convicted by a federal jury on October 29, 2021. Donald now faces sentencing on March 1, 2022, after being found guilty of possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin, over 500 grams of cocaine, over 28 grams of crack, and fentanyl, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The takedown was led by a multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), pooling resources from the DEA Boston Field Division, Worcester Police Department, and several regional law enforcement agencies, including the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office and police departments from Westborough, Wellesley, Douglas and Southbridge. The OCDETF program, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, targets the most dangerous drug syndicates operating across state lines.
Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle, and Worcester Police Chief Stephen Sargent announced the outcome. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm, Chief of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office, and John Mulcahy of the Criminal Division. No plea deals cushioned Young’s fall — just five hard years behind bars for helping push poison onto Worcester’s streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Worcester’s Robert Young, 50, Gets 5 Years in Drug Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Winchester Woman Gets 10 Years for Heroin Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Lamar Young Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Rafael Lopez-Carrasco Gets 17 Years for Fentanyl Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Carlos Jimenez Gets 5 Years for Heroin Conspiracy · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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