United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Aaron Philbert, 29, of Pawtucket, was ordered detained in federal custody after appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence today on heroin and cocaine trafficking charges, and for allegedly being a felon in possession of two loaded firearms which he allegedly used in furtherance of his alleged drug trafficking crimes.  A federal grand jury on Thursday returned a four-count indictment charging Philbert with possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. A not guilty plea was entered during his arraignment before U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.  Philbert’s indictment and arraignment are announced by Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King, and Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva.

According to information presented to the court, on February 8, 2016, during an investigation into Philbert’s alleged drug trafficking activities, law enforcement executed a court authorized search warrant inside Philbert’s residence and allegedly seized a loaded Glock 21, .45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen, a loaded .357 magnum revolver, 13.8 grams of heroin, more than an ounce of cocaine, more than $11,000 in cash, and numerous items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.  According to court records and information presented to the court, Philbert, who was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest in February, pleaded guilty in May 2010, to one count of possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base. He was sentenced in June 2011, to 63 months incarceration to be followed by five years supervised release.

An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose. The matter was investigated by the DEA Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the Pawtucket and Newport Police Departments.