Boston-Area Gang Member Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl Offenses

BOSTON – A member of the Annunciation Road/Mission Hill gang was sentenced yesterday in connection with crack cocaine and fentanyl possession with intent to distribute.

Shakeem Johnson, a/k/a “Sha-Money,” 35, was sentenced U.S. District Court Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to five years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. On Oct. 14, 2025, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

In early 2025, while on parole upon his release from state prison for a 2016 conviction for manslaughter in a gang-related shooting – for which he was sentenced to 12 to 14 years in state prison – Johnson was captured on recorded jail calls discussing his drug trafficking activity with another Annunciation Road/Mission Hill gang member who was incarcerated. Following these communications, the defendant was observed repeatedly traveling to the “Mass and Cass” area of Boston, a location known for drug use and drug distribution, and engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions.

Search warrants executed in April 2025 resulted in the seizure of more than 45 grams of crack cocaine from Johnson and more than 24 grams of fentanyl from his Lynn residence. Other items indicative of street-level drug distribution were also seized.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and John Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.