PROVIDENCE - General Jones, 31, of Pawtucket, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF, and Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, and one count each of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.
At the time of his guilty plea, Jones admitted to the Court that on at least five occasions between Oct. 17, 2016, and March 2, 2017, he sold between 30 and 49.95 grams of cocaine to an individual assisting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and an ATF task force in an investigation of Jones’ drug trafficking activities. On at least three of those occasions, Jones sold the individual between 24.99 and 47.54 grams of crack cocaine.
According to information presented to the court, on March 9, 2017, ATF agents, members of the ATF task force and Pawtucket Police executed court authorized search warrants at two residences under the control of Jones in Pawtucket. At one location, used by Jones for his drug trafficking activity, law enforcement seized 368.39 grams of cocaine, 92.16 grams of crack cocaine and $13,020 in cash proceeds from the sale of cocaine and crack cocaine. At the second location law enforcement seized $8,000 in cash, proceeds from his drug trafficking activity. Law enforcement also seized $606 from Jones’ person, proceeds from the sale of cocaine and crack cocaine.
General Jones has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on March 9, 2017. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on December 4, 2017.
Distribution of 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine are punishable by statutory penalties of between 5- 40 years in federal prison to be followed by a minimum of 5 years supervised release. Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison to be followed a minimum of 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The ATF task force is comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Rhode Island State Police, Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit, and the Pawtucket and Providence Police Departments.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
