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Press Release

Worcester Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Franklin Safo-Agyare, a/k/a “Frankie So Smooth,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, the first year of which he is prohibited from residing in or visiting the City of Worcester. In June, Safo-Agyare pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Following a two-year investigation, Safo-Agyare and eight others were charged in January 2018 in connection with illegal drug distribution and firearm possession within and near the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development.

On June 6, 2016, Safo-Agyare sold a firearm to a cooperating witness in the parking lot of a grocery store which is adjacent to the development. According to court documents, Safo-Agyare has multiple convictions for assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, carrying a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a Class A substance. Due to these convictions, Safo-Agyare was prohibited from possessing firearms during the time of the offense.

The investigation and arrests sought to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments for residents by removing individuals who distributed drugs and/or were actively involved in violence and gang disputes.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Lawrence J. Panetta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. Assistance was also provided by the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety.

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

Updated October 18, 2018

Topic
Firearms Offenses