News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2004

Holyoke Man Convicted of Crack Distribution

Springfield, MA... A Holyoke man was convicted today in federal court of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, announced today that MIGUEL GONZALEZ, age 26, of Holyoke, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that between October of 2002 and February 11, 2003, GONZALEZ, together with seven co-defendants, distributed at least one kilogram of cocaine per week in Springfield and Holyoke. During the execution of search warrants in February of 2003, DEA agents seized two kilograms of cocaine, 200 grams of crack cocaine, eight grams of heroin and over $70,000 in cash. GONZALEZ purchased crack cocaine from the co-defendants and resold it in Holyoke.

The indictment was the result of a year-long investigation of crack cocaine and cocaine trafficking in Springfield and Holyoke which involved four months of Court authorized electronic surveillance by the DEA’s Springfield Task Force.

Judge Ponsor scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2005. GONZALEZ faces up to life in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Springfield Task Force.