Two men pleaded guilty on July 21 in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute fentanyl after a series of controlled purchases in Brookline and Boston. Kerry Charlotin, also known as “KG,” 36, of Rockland, and Shaquylle Burden, 31, of Roslindale each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled Charlotin’s sentencing for Oct. 26, and Burden’s for Oct. 19. Both defendants were arrested in December 2025 and remain detained pending sentencing.
According to charging documents, an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Charlotin and Burden began in June 2025. The investigation found that the two men were actively selling fentanyl in the greater Boston area. On two occasions in October and December 2025, they sold or arranged sales of fentanyl to undercover law enforcement during controlled purchases. At the time of his arrest, a firearm was recovered from Burden’s residence in Roslindale.
At the time these offenses occurred, Charlotin was on federal supervised release following a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm from 2020, for which he had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
The charges carry potential penalties including up to twenty years’ imprisonment, at least three years’ supervised release, and fines up to $1 million. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement regarding these pleas. Assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia Field Office in South Carolina; Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime perpetrators—coordinated with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods efforts.
The U.S Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws throughout Massachusetts through prosecutions involving national security threats and civil rights violations; advances community initiatives focused on civil rights protection and violence prevention; employs over 200 attorneys as well as paralegals and professional staff; maintains offices at multiple locations including Boston’s John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse; serves all residents statewide as part of the United States Department of Justice, according to its official website.