Alleged Boston Gang Member Indicted on Drug Distribution Charge

BOSTON – An alleged member of the Orchard Park Trailblazers was indicted today in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine in a school zone.

Tyree Draughn, 25, was indicted on one count of distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. In June 2017, Draughn and 11 others were charged in a criminal complaint and arrested in connection with selling crack cocaine in and around Roxbury’s Orchard Gardens Housing Development. It is alleged that Draughn sold cocaine base in a school zone on May 10, 2017.

The charges are the result of a nearly two-year investigation into the high concentration of crime in and around the Orchard Park Development, the largest publically funded development in Roxbury, which is also adjacent to Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School. The crime stems, in part, from the illegal activities of the members and associates of the Orchard Park Trailblazers who allegedly have active feuds with rival gangs throughout the city, contributing to the area’s violence. It is alleged in court documents that the residents of the Development often expressed concerns to law enforcement about the violence in the area and the gang members who contributed to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

The charging statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and no more than a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.