Southwick Man Caught With $1 Million In Drug Money Pleads Guilty In Federal Court
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A Southwick man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Springfield, MA in connection with distributing marijuana. Connor Cipolla, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana involving between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2016.
In October 2014, Cipolla drove to his storage locker at Uncle Bob’s Storage in Agawam. While there, he saw DEA agents conducting a search of another locker. Mistakenly believing that agents were searching his locker, Cipolla immediately fled by car, eventually abandoning his car in an effort to evade police. DEA later obtained a search warrant for Cipolla’s storage locker and discovered over $1 million in cash and 118 pounds of marijuana. The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, six years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Over $1 million has been administratively forfeited in this case.
Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Agawam Police Chief Eric Gillis; and Southwick Police Chief David A. Ricardi made the announcement.
