Western Mass. Man Sentenced For Role In Major Heroin Operation

Last Thursday, a Western Massachusetts man received a prison sentence for playing a role in a very large-scale heroin trafficking operation. The man pleaded guilty in Springfield Federal Court on October 27, 2022.

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According to a media statement from the Department Of Justice(DOJ) in Boston, William Brantley, 51, of Springfield, was sentenced to over three-and-a-half years in prison plus 5 years of supervised release.

Back in 2019, Brantley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. A co-conspirator of Brantley's, Alberto Marte, was sentenced to 15 years in stir plus 5 years of supervised release two years ago in March.

The DOJ reports Brantley was part of a major drug trafficking ring that was based out of Springfield. Co-conspirator Marte, apparently the leader of the organization, was on the receiving end of heroin supply shipments from the Dominican.

Then, every month, members of the drug ring(including Brantley) would distribute anywhere between 8 and 20 kilos of heroin to the Springfield area. Reportedly Brantley, between the months of July and September 2016, purchased 30,000 doses of heroin from Marte.

This is a problem that doesn't appear to be going away any time soon, folks. Heroin and other opioid-related overdoses reached a record high last year in Massachusetts and thus far 2022 isn't looking any better.

Cocaine, meth, and fentanyl use are also on the rise in the Commonwealth, so, while I realize it's just barely scratching the surface of the drug-trafficking trade, anytime we can get some of these people behind bars, it's a good thing.

For more on the Brantley case, visit the Department of Justice's website here.