FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
CONTACT: CHRISTINA DiIORIO-STERLING
PHONE: (617)748-3356
E-MAIL: USAMA.MEDIA@USDOJ.GOV
SPRINGFIELD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES
SPRINGFIELD, MA - A Springfield man was convicted yesterday in federal court of Conspiracy, Distribution of Crack Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a convicted Felon.
Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division; Chief Anthony R. Scott of the Holyoke Police Department; Commissioner William J. Fitchet of the Springfield Police Department; Colonel Mark Delaney, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Michael Ashe, Sheriff of Hampden County, announced that VICTOR AWOSIKA, age 24, of Springfield, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to Conspiracy, Possession with intent to Distribute and Distribution of Cocaine Base and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Previously Convicted Felon.
At the plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that AWOSIKA, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, distributed crack cocaine on one occasion in November 2007. AWOSIKA was also found in possession of a firearm, ammunition and crack cocaine in May 2008.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2009. AWOSIKA faces up to 40 years imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and a $2 million fine on each of the first two counts, as well as 10 years imprisonment, up to three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine on the firearm counts.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force, a Safe Street/HIDTA Initiative. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Loucks' Springfield Branch Unit.
###