Fall River Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Oxycodone Distribution

BOSTON (WBSM) — A Fall River man will spend nearly four years in prison after being convicted for his role in a drug distribution conspiracy involving thousands of oxycodone pills.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Austin Gonsalves, 37, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He had pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Gonsalves was also ordered to forfeit $16,130.

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Gonsalves was arrested and charged along with five others in July 2023 for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills across Southeastern Massachusetts. All six were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.

The others were John Campbell, a.k.a. “Jizz,” 40, of Taunton; Michael Atwood, 36, of Carver; Kenneth Veiga, 33, of Abington; Scott Lambert, 55, of Falmouth; and Christan Russell, a.k.a. Christian Russell, a.k.a. “Bear,” 32, of Tomball, Texas.

According to the U.S. Attorney, Gonsalves obtained hundreds of pills at a time, allegedly from co-defendant Viega, and redistributed them to others.

“On one occasion alone, Gonsalves paid $22,000 to obtain 800 oxycodone for further distribution,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “A search of Gonsalves’ Fall River residence in July 2023 resulted in the seizure of approximately $16,000 in cash and approximately 400 oxycodone pills.”