Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Colombian national who previously lived unlawfully in Everett, Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Juan Restrepo-Madrid, 39, received a 34-month prison sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as one count of cocaine distribution.
Restrepo-Madrid was arrested and charged in February 2020 alongside co-conspirator Sebastian Arbelaez-Perez. According to court records, a cooperating witness arranged a meeting with Restrepo-Madrid and Arbelaez in August 2019 to discuss purchasing cocaine. At the meeting on August 9, only Restrepo-Madrid appeared and provided the witness with half a kilogram of cocaine.
Following his arrest in February 2020, Restrepo-Madrid was released under conditions pending trial. However, he fled to Colombia before his scheduled plea hearing in early 2021, violating his release terms. Authorities arrested him in Colombia in June 2023, and he was extradited back to the United States two years later.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The OCDETF program targets high-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States through coordinated efforts among multiple agencies led by prosecutors. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today."
The investigation received support from several agencies including the Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Revere Police Department, Winthrop Police Department, Massachusetts National Guard, U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan prosecuted the case.
