News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
February 11, 2009
Seven are charged with drug trafficking / firearms offenses
in an undercover investigation at a Providence convenience store
A federal grand jury has charged seven men with various drug trafficking and firearms offenses in connection with an undercover investigation based at a Providence convenience store.
United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced the indictments, which the grand jury returned in December. The indictments were kept under seal as teams of agents arrested the defendants, the last of whom was arrested February 7.
Charged are:
Stephen Zinno, 54, of Pawtucket – charged with two counts of distributing crack cocaine and one count of conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, which are cigarettes in packages not bearing the required Rhode Island tax stamp;
William Squadrito, 41, of Cranston – charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Antonio Arce, 39, address unknown – charged with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute heroin;
Stanley Alston, 39, of Providence – charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Jordan Lucas, 21, of Providence – charged with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine;
Wesley Harrison, aka, “Young,” 20, of Providence – charged with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine;
Jeffrey Patrick, 20, of Providence – charged with distributing crack cocaine.
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Six of the seven defendants have pleaded not guilty before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court, Providence and are detained in federal custody. Patrick is held in state custody pending his arraignment in U.S. District Court, which has not been scheduled.
“ATF developed information over the course of several months about individuals who wanted to sell drugs or guns – and about other illegal activity,” said Mark W. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s office in Providence. “Adept undercover work, with considerable help from Providence Police, enabled us to develop evidence supporting the federal charges against these seven individuals.”
An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The maximum penalties for the offenses charged in the indictments are: being a felon in possession of a firearm – ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine; distributing and possessing with intent to distribute five grams or more of crack cocaine – five to 40 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine; distributing heroin and distributing crack cocaine – 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine; conspiracy and trafficking in contraband cigarettes – five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The same undercover investigation, based in and around Broadway Mart, located at 447 Broadway, Providence, resulted in charges against three men who have pleaded guilty to trafficking in contraband cigarettes: Bassam Khalil, of Cumberland, Hussam Ghanam, of Pawtucket, and Mohamed Amir Tatari, of Johnston.
ATF spearheaded the investigation. Providence Police, Johnston Police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, and the Rhode Island Division of Taxation participated.