Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Shipping Cocaine Through the Mail

BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a drug trafficking offense arising from his shipment of cocaine through the U.S. mail from California to Massachusetts.

Justin Dupras, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2025. Dupras was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.

According to the charging document, Dupras mailed a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from a Post Office in Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 17, 2024. Dupras then returned to Massachusetts and, on Dec. 19, 2024, drove to the Fall River Post Office. Another individual signed for the package containing cocaine and handed it to Dupras.

In addition, Dupras mailed packages containing cocaine from California to Massachusetts on multiple prior occasions. For example, on Sept. 17, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing more than two kilograms of cocaine from Chino Hills, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. On Oct. 29, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. Flight records show Dupras returning to Massachusetts on the same day that he mailed the two packages.

The charge of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely is prosecuting the case.