With years of expertise in the field, i am bring a wealth of knowledge and insights to our platform. Our editor’s extensive research and understanding of the drug landscape ensure that their content is accurate, informative, and engaging.
Latest posts by David Brown (see all)
Long jail terms have been imposed on three men who belonged to a drug trafficking organization (DTO) on Cape Cod. In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and all around Cape Cod, Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph, and Anthony Basilici distributed heroin. They were also charged with witness intimidation, a gunshot incident, and violent kidnapping.
Edwin Otero was given a 38-year prison term on May 18, 2023, while Justin Joseph was given a 30-year sentence. The punishment for Anthony Basilici was 22 and a half years in prison.
What is Known About Criminals
Basilici was found guilty of several offenses, including conspiracy to distribute drugs, using a firearm improperly, kidnapping, intimidating witnesses, and witness retaliation. Otero and Joseph had previously entered guilty pleas to related offenses.
Otero, Joseph, Basilici, and their associates were found to be distributing huge amounts of heroin in numerous locations, according to the investigation into the DTO that was launched in 2018. They abducted a victim in Rhode Island in April 2019, beat him up, and videotaped the ordeal. In May 2019 due to a drug debt, they also shot at another person.
Otero, Joseph, Basilici, and other people were first detained in May 2019, and they were all accused of crimes related to drug conspiracies. During the arrests, weapons, ammunition, and drugs were seized.
Another defendant in the case, Tony Johnson, was sentenced to 75 months in jail after entering a guilty plea to planning to distribute heroin with Otero and others. These people were charged as part of an operation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which tries to locate and take down high-level criminal groups by utilizing a multi-agency strategy.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber prosecuted the case, and acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, D.E.A. Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle, Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend, and Barnstable County Sheriff Donna D. Buckley made the announcement.