Ten Charged in Drug Distribution Ring

BOSTON – Ten individuals, most of whom are from Brockton, were charged today in federal court in Boston in a wide-ranging fentanyl and cocaine conspiracy.

Seven individuals were arrested today, two are currently in state custody, and one is at-large. The following 10 individuals were charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine:

Djuna Goncalves, 32, of Brockton, currently in state custody;
Cody Goncalves, 26, of Brockton, currently in state custody;
Anthony Goncalves, 20, of Brockton, currently at-large;
Angelo Pina, 27, of Brockton;
Calvin Mendes, 40, of Brockton;
Carlos Antunes, 33, of Brockton;
Jermaine Gonsalves, 32, of Brockton;
Ozair Pereira, 30, of Brockton;
Joseph Greene, 21, of Taunton; and
Brian Donahue, 38, of Truro

“This morning’s arrests should remind all gang members and drug traffickers that they cannot operate freely in this state,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Over the past year, in conjunction with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we have removed dozens of violent criminals from our communities, and we will continue to do so.”

"Operation Red Heat dismantled a large scale Fentanyl distribution ring making its home base on Addison Avenue, but with a trafficking reach far outside of Brockton’s borders,” said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz. “I commend the work of Massachusetts State Police CINRET, Detectives in the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security, DEA and Brockton Police to take five guns and a half kilo of Fentanyl off the street. Their diligent police work quieted the drug activity in a Brockton neighborhood and made much of Plymouth County safer today.”

“This is another example of the ongoing efforts of the Brockton Police Department and the administration of Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter to partner with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to take the most violent repeat offenders off the streets and make Brockton a safer City,” said Brockton Police Chief John Crowley.

According to the charging document, in 2018, federal, state, and local law enforcement began investigating Djuna Goncalves and other alleged members of A Block, a violent Brockton Street gang whose members typically come from Addison Avenue or the surrounding neighborhood, which have for years been plagued by shootings, including two murders, and other crimes of violence.

It is alleged that during the investigation, Djuna Goncalves and his brothers Cody and Anthony Goncalves distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs from an apartment on Addison Avenue to A Block members and other drug traffickers in Brockton and southeastern Massachusetts. Djuna and Cody Goncalves and Calvin Mendes distributed drugs while on pre-trial release for pending state drug trafficking and gun possession charges. Djuna Goncalves and Angelo Pina were previously convicted of drug trafficking offenses in federal court in Boston, and Pina is still on supervised release from his prior federal conviction.

On Oct. 21, 2018, Djuna Goncalves survived an assassination attempt after an unidentified assailant fired multiple shots into his basement apartment. It is alleged that when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Goncalves’ home, they recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a Glock .45 caliber pistol, a large number of ammunition clips to various types of firearms and accompanying ammunition, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, Suboxone strips, a hydraulic press, packaging materials, digital scales, and approximately $12,000 in cash. Djuna and Cody Goncalves were subsequently arrested on state charges as a result of the evidence seized during the execution of the search warrant.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

--U.S. Attorney's Office