Mass. man pleads guilty to gun, drug, and machinegun conversion device trafficking
BOSTON (WWLP) – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking firearms, distributing thousands of methamphetamine pills disguised as Adderall, and selling illegal machinegun conversion devices known as 'switches.'
Springfield man charged with DUI, wrong-way driving in Enfield
Billy Chan, 20, pleaded guilty last Friday to four federal charges:
Engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Transfer and possession of a machinegun.
Federal prosecutors said that between March and June 2023, Chan conducted five illegal sales to undercover law enforcement officers in Lowell. The transactions included three handguns, four machinegun conversion devices, and about 2,000 counterfeit pills made to resemble Adderall. Laboratory analysis confirmed the pills were homemade methamphetamine laced with caffeine.
Chan allegedly worked with a co-conspirator affiliated with the Asian Boyz gang, a group that investigators say had a significant role in distributing methamphetamine pills throughout the Merrimack Valley region during 2023. The pills were widely marketed as Adderall, a prescription stimulant, but were illicitly manufactured and contained no pharmaceutical-grade ingredients.
Authorities also documented a meeting in which Chan described manufacturing the machinegun conversion devices himself while working at a machine shop. He reportedly gave a cooperating source a demonstration on how to install the 'switches' and later sent a video showing a fully automatic pistol being fired into the air, writing in a message, 'I let my boys test the switch.'
The case is being prosecuted as part of , a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at reducing gun violence and violent crime by enhancing coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement and community organizations.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mike Tyson issues grim warning about dangers of drug use, fentanyl
Once known as the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson now is warning people about one of the most dangerous drugs on planet. The legendary boxer, who knows his fair share about elicit drug use, spoke out about fentanyl during a tour of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) lab in New York City earlier this week. Tyson toured the facility with Alina Habba, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, and even donned a DEA lab coat as he learned about the deadly narcotic. 'One pill can kill,' Tyson told the New York Post. 'I just found out that a pin of fentanyl can kill somebody. I was never educated on fentanyl and this is new to me. I'm just here to be educated on the laws.' The 58-year-old former heavyweight champion owns a legal cannabis company, TYSON 2.0, and touted the safety of its products compared to street drugs potential laced with deadly narcotics. According to reports, nearly 70% of recent overdose deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to illegally manufactured fentanyl and New York City saw nearly 2,200 fatal overdoses last year. 'There is a real toxic problem and that's the truth of it,' said Habba, who became friends with Tyson and his wife Kiki after meeting at a UFC event. 'They are such proponents, the Tysons, of safe use. And making sure it's not from China or a pesticide.' During the tour of the lab, Tyson was shown huge amounts of evidence collected in DEA seizures, including massive bags of marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, vapes and a bag filled with orange-coloured fake Adderall. A scientist showed off a fentanyl brick that also contained carfentanil, 'which is more potent than fentanyl,' Tyson was told. 'We have kids where they take a pill from God knows where or smoke a vape or take a gummy and they don't know where it came from and next thing you know you are on the floor because of that little piece of fentanyl,' Habba told Tyson. Tyson's history with substance abuse is well-documented and a big reason why he became interested in legal, safe cannabis. Jake Paul lifts rival Mike Tyson onto his shoulders at star-studded Trump inauguration party Mike Tyson says he 'blanked out' and can't remember most of Jake Paul fight 'It's mostly because I was in a lot of insane asylums, believe it or not,' he said. 'I did a lot of drugs, a lot of cocaine and a lot of drinking and then I started smoking and it changed my whole life. 'I haven't been smoking (cigarettes), I haven't been drinking, I haven't done cocaine in nine years,' he said. 'Now, I'm trying to make the whole cannabis universe safe.' The boxing icon also said that he'll 'never' return to the ring after his high-profile fight last year with influencer Jake Paul — a widely criticized bout that saw Paul holding back from hurting the aging pugilist. 'That's why I did the last fight, so I never have to do it again,' Tyson said. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man Accused of Secretly Slipping Abortion Drug into Pregnant Girlfriend's Coffee, Causing Her to Lose Baby
A woman in Texas alleged her ex-boyfriend slipped "Plan C" into her drink last October, causing her to lose her baby Police allege the man, who worked in IT at the U.S. Department of Justice, remotely connected to his cellphone after it was seized, wiping away "crucial" evidence The 38-year-old has now been charged with felonies for attempted capital murder and tampering with evidence, the Parker County Sheriff's Office saysAn IT worker with the U.S. Department of Justice has been charged in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend's unborn child, as well as allegedly tampering with evidence on a cellphone collected by authorities, officials in Texas said Anthony Banta has been charged with attempt to commit capital murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to Parker County Jail records reviewed by PEOPLE. In a press release by the Parker County Sheriff's Office on Monday, authorities said Banta's ex-girlfriend accused him of slipping 'Plan C' into her drink after trying to convince her to get an abortion. According to the sheriff's office, the victim said she and Banta were in a romantic relationship last September when she learned she was pregnant. Banta then allegedly 'proposed to cover the cost [of] an abortion and suggested they order the 'Plan C' online.' However, the victim told police she allegedly informed Banta she wanted to keep the baby. By October, the alleged victim told police she met up with Banta at a local coffee shop in Tarrant County, Texas, 'where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission, while they were at a coffee shop.' The next day, the woman told police she allegedly began experiencing fatigue and heavy bleeding, leading her to go to an emergency room. 'The victim reported she lost her baby on Oct. 19, which she believed was a result of the drugs Banta had previously placed in her drink at the coffee shop without her permission,' the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators later interviewed Banta and seized his cellphone as evidence. However, Parker County officials allege that Banta used his IT skills to remotely connect to his cellphone and force a 'reset' while it was in possession of local authorities and 'thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case.'Authorities then obtained a warrant for Banta's arrest, charging him with two felonies. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Banta was taken into custody last Friday, according to records reviewed by PEOPLE. He was released later that day on bond set at $500,000 for the attempted murder charge and $20,000 for the charge of tampering with evidence, local jail records show. The Parker County Sheriff's Office says 'the cases against Banta remain active and are awaiting prosecution.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lawrence man sentenced for leading major drug trafficking ring
BOSTON (WWLP) – A man from Lawrence has been sentenced for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and cocaine. Mass. man pleads guilty to gun, drug, and machinegun conversion device trafficking The Department of Justice states that 35-year-old Joseph Correa was a target of a long-term investigation into a network of fentanyl and cocaine distributors that were based in and around Lawrence. The investigation revealed that Correa received fentanyl from local suppliers, and that he and co-defendants and brothers Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez regularly traveled to Puerto Rico to purchase wholesale quantities of cocaine, which they mailed to addresses in New England for redistribution in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Correa employed co-defendants and an uncharged co-conspirator to store and process drugs at their residences and to distribute drugs on behalf of Correa. Correa was regularly intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps that discussed the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, and obtaining, possessing, and using firearms. He and co-defendant Mayi Rosario conspired to launder drug proceeds by using various financial transactions and purchases. During the investigation, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and drug proceeds were seized from Correa and his associates and packages mailed by or for Correa. On December 15, 2021, Correa was arrested in Caguas, Puerto Rico. During this time, Correa was holding a loaded firearm that had a Glock slide and a privately manufactured grip, which had been converted into a fully automatic weapon. In May of last year, Jose Martinez was sentenced to 90 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. In February, Luis Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In August of last year, Rosario was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by one year of home detention and 26 months of supervised release. Correa was sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty last year in November to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and other controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
