BOSTON – Eighteen individuals in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, California and Hawaii have been arrested in connection with an alleged drug trafficking and money laundering scheme centered in Gardner, U.S. District Attorney’s office.
Among those arrested were Rhonda Reed of Winchendon and Kenneth Godfrey, 59, of Phillipston.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. They appeared in federal courts in Worcester as well as Trenton, New Jersey; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Riverside, California; and Honolulu, Hawaii last week.
The other defendants include:
Hai Son Pham, 39, of Gardner
Kelly Breault, 41, of Leominster
Boonphet Sysoumang, 42, of Gardner
Rafael Moreno, 38, of Leominster
Andres Montemayor, 42, of Arlington
James Jah, 37, of South River, New Jersey
Cesar Gonzalez, age 42, of Rancho Mirage, California
Courtney Spaulding, 42, of Leominster
Abdeem Griffin, 31, of Vallejo, California
Fong Yang, 43, of Claremore, Oklahoma
Scorpio Ramos, 41, of Fitchburg
Giovan Colon, 36, of Kissimmee, Florida
Gary Boucher, 46, of Shirley
David Vega, 37, of Fitchburg
Frederick Hrdy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii
Jose, Garcia, 36, of Chicopee
According to the charging documents, Pham allegedly headed a drug trafficking organization in North Worcester County. From there, Pham and his co-conspirators allegedly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, counterfeit pills and other controlled substances throughout the United States, to include Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Oklahoma, California, Texas, Washington and Hawaii.
According to court documents, Pham registered and controlled Infinite Painting, a commercial and residential painting company. Pham and his co-conspirators allegedly used Infinite Painting to launder drug proceeds through multiple financial institutions by concealing the illegal source of the funds.
The drug conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The money laundering conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement of the arrests.
Assistance was provided by U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Massachusetts State Police; the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department; and Worcester, Gardner, Leominster, Fitchburg, Cliton, Lunenburg, Hopkinton, Westminster, Ashburnham, Winchendon, Templeton, Phillipston, Boylston, Sterling and Weymouth police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.