BOSTON – In a gritty trial that lasted seven days, three Worcester men faced justice yesterday as they were convicted of distributing crack cocaine in the City of Worcester and its surroundings.
Sergio Hernandez, 33, James ‘Speedro’ Dunston, also 33, and Anthony Wooldridge, 30, were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute over 280 grams of ‘crack’ cocaine. Wooldridge additionally faced conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Richard Cruz, 42, known as Compi, from Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on the second day of trial for conspiring to sell over 500 grams of powder cocaine. Sentencing was scheduled by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Hillman for Cruz on May 14, 2015, and the others respectively on May 15, 22, and 26, 2015.
The trio were arrested in September 2012 alongside Cruz at his Puerto Rican residence. The investigation into their crack cocaine network spanned a year, with evidence including undercover purchases of crack, intercepted communications, and a seizure of half a kilogram of powder cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to Worcester.
This joint probe by the DEA, Worcester Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service resulted in 14 individuals being charged. Shawna Gotsis, Janette Hernandez, and Jeneva Hernandez pleaded guilty to similar federal offenses. Seven other co-conspirators were charged in state court by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
The mandatory minimum sentence under the charging statute is 10 years in prison with no greater than life; supervised release of five years up to a lifetime, and an $8 million fine. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and other law enforcement officials led the announcement of the convictions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cory S. Flashner and Greg A. Friedholm will prosecute the case from Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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