Attorney General Maura Healey announced that a Chelsea resident has entered a guilty plea and received a two-year jail sentence for his role in an illegal firearms trafficking operation across Greater Boston.
Jesse Cardona-Restrepo, 22, appeared in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to one count of Trafficking a Firearm, one count of Carrying a Firearm, and one count of Possessing Ammunition. Judge Peter M. Lauriat imposed a sentence of two years in the House of Correction to be followed by four years of probation. The AG’s Office had sought a sentence ranging from two and a half to four years in state prison with three years of probation to follow.
Cardona-Restrepo was among nine defendants charged across seven separate cases in April 2016. These indictments stemmed from an investigation into gun and drug trafficking activities operating in East Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Jamaica Plain.
An investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the defendants were members and associates of the 18th Street Gang and the East Side Money Gang. They were allegedly engaged in trafficking illegal firearms and controlled substances including heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. The arrests were part of a coordinated operation that resulted in charges against 66 gang members on both federal and state charges.
According to the ATF investigation, Cardona-Restrepo unlawfully sold a revolver and ammunition in Chelsea.
Assistant Attorney General Sara Shannon of AG Healey’s Criminal Bureau and Assistant Attorney General Gina Kwon, Deputy Chief of AG Healey’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division, prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Chelsea Police.