Pawtucket Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man previously convicted and incarcerated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on drug trafficking charges was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Anthony Shukri Nelson, 41, was sentenced on November 13, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 90 months imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release.  Nelson pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025 to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, between February 9 and February 23, 2022, Nelson delivered over 37 grams of methamphetamine and 11.5 grams of cocaine to another individual in exchange for cash. During the investigation, members of the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force conducted a court authorized search of Nelson’s Pawtucket residence, resulting in the seizure of approximately 225 grams of cocaine and more than $23,750 in cash.

At the time of his arrest, Nelson was on probation stemming from a prior Rhode Island conviction.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey A. Erickson and Taylor Dean.

The matter was investigated by FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force with assistance from the Pawtucket Police Department and Rhode Island State Police.