Two Massachusetts Men Arrested for Drug Conspiracy

BOSTON – Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged fentanyl distribution conspiracy, following a series of controlled purchases in Brookline and Boston.

Shaquylle Burden, 31, of Roslindale, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Burden was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Dec. 17, 2025. Co-defendant, Kerry Charlotin, a/k/a “KG,” 36, of Rockland, was also arrested this morning in South Carolina. Charlotin was ordered detained and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Charlotin is currently on federal supervised release for a 2020 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to the charging documents, in June 2025, law enforcement began an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities conducted by Burden and Charlotin. The investigation allegedly revealed that the defendants were actively selling fentanyl in the greater Boston area. On two separate dates in October and December 2025, Burden and Charlotin allegedly sold or arranged the sale of fentanyl to undercover law enforcement during controlled purchases. It is further alleged that one firearm was found in Burden’s Roslindale residence at the time of his arrest.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia Field Office in South Carolina.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

   This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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