Saugus Man Convicted of Trafficking Methamphetamine

BOSTON – A Saugus man pleaded guilty yesterday to federal drug offenses involving methamphetamine laced pills.

Marcus Holder, a/k/a “Heartless,” 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2025.

Holder was an Asian Boyz gang member who participated in an extensive trafficking network with other gang members and associates. The gang had access to a plentiful supply of homemade methamphetamine pills marketed as the pharmaceutical product, Adderall. These pills were similar in shape, size and appearance to genuine Adderall. On two dates in September and October 2022, Holder delivered 1,000“Adderall” pills to fellow Asian Boyz gang member, Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” for re-sale to an undercover officer. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills were not actually Adderall but rather a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine.        

In May 2025, Phim was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
    
The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of no less thanfive years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.