Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Brockton man, Elijah Melton, pleaded guilty on March 20 in federal court in Boston to two separate cases involving the distribution of large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled Melton’s sentencing for July 15.
The case is significant due to the scale of drug trafficking involved, with authorities seizing kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine intended for distribution across Massachusetts. Law enforcement officials say these actions are part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal drug activity and protect local communities.
According to court documents, Melton admitted guilt in two cases: one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving over 400 grams of fentanyl), as well as another count related specifically to distributing more than 400 grams of fentanyl. In a second case, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving both at least 400 grams of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charges stem from incidents including a December 2022 operation where Melton arranged delivery of four kilograms of fentanyl—resulting in law enforcement seizing approximately 3.5 kilograms during a stop in Attleboro.
Following his arrest on December 12, 2023, investigators found communications on an encrypted app linking Melton with "James Jackson," alleged by authorities to be co-defendant Theodore Richards. These messages described plans for large shipments—including four kilograms of fentanyl, thirty-two kilograms of cocaine, and about three hundred pounds of marijuana—from California into Massachusetts.
Melton’s associate Samuel Fonseca has also pleaded guilty; his sentencing is set for June 16. Richards has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
If convicted on all counts, the penalties include at least ten years up to life imprisonment per charge, supervised release ranging from five years up to life, and fines that could reach $10 million per offense—sentences determined by federal guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the plea alongside FBI Special Agent Ted E. Docks and DEA Special Agent Jarod A. Forget, crediting assistance from state police agencies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as prosecutors Michael Crowley and Samuel R. Feldman handling the case.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations, illegal immigration-related crime networks—and supported by programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
