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justice department

Worcester man sent to prison on gun charge

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BOSTON — A Worcester man was sentenced to over six years in prison on Friday in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Lawrence Rutherford, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni to 78 months, or six and a half years, in prison and three years of supervised release.

In March 2023, Rutherford pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

During a search of Rutherford’s residence in June 2019, two loaded .22 caliber pistols and approximately 613 rounds of ammunition was seized. Rutherford is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to several prior felony convictions punishable by more than one year in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson, ATF, Boston Field Division, and Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Friedholm and John Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

Department of Justice awards Massachusetts $118M+ in public safety grants

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Massachusetts has been awarded a nearly $120 million slice of a U.S. Department of Justice’s $4.4 billion public safety grant program that aims to, among other initiatives, reduce crimes and expand public access to justice system service.

“Protecting the people of Massachusetts is my highest priority, and the best way to accomplish that goal is to forge close working relationships with our state and local partners. Federal resources like this are invaluable in the support they provide for comprehensive public safety solutions and resources specific to the unique needs of Massachusetts communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy. “By investing in state and local programs, we aim to empower victims, enhance officer safety, strengthen public trust in law enforcement, and ultimately create safer communities across Massachusetts.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. (Courtesy / DOJ)
Courtesy / DOJ
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. (Courtesy / DOJ)

There were a total of 3,700 grants distributed by the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) this fiscal year that Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement would be an investment to “support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”

The grants were awarded in five major categories, listed here in order of total funds: $1.7 billion to “expand access to victim services … that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims”; $1 billion toward programs that help “communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America”; more than $437 million to “expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities”; more than $418 million to “support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts”; and more than $192 million to “improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system.”

Massachusetts’ share of this money comes to $118,366,566, including a new $60 million in grants that the U.S. Attorney’s office says “provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice system” and $34 million “to support crime victim compensation and assistance.”

Fitchburg man sentenced in local drug conspiracy

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BOSTON — A Fitchburg man was sentenced to over three years in prison yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack, and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Ivan Torres, 32, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy Hillman to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

On March 10, 2023, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area.

Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications to and from telephones used by members and suppliers of the drug trafficking organization revealed that Torres was a cocaine dealer who supplied cocaine to the drug trafficking organization.

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, over 50 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in U.S. currency were seized.

Torres is one of 18 defendants to be sentenced in this case. All 18 defendants have been convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial. The remaining convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in September and October 2023.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the state Department of Correction; and Interim State Police Col. John Mawn Jr. made the announcement today.

The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and state State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

(COURTESY ACTING US ATTORNEY JOSHUA LEVY)