News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2004

Lowell Man Imprisoned for 10 Years in Ectasy Case

JUN 16 - A Lowell resident was sentenced yesterday in federal court for ecstasy distribution and conspiracy.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Edward Davis, Chief of the Lowell Police Department; and Robin M. Avers, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England, announced that CHRISTOPHER GIVEN, age 31, of 140 Bowers Street, Lowell, was sentenced by U. S. District Judge Rya Zobel to 10 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. GIVEN pleaded guilty to ecstasy distribution and conspiracy charges on April 4, 2004.

At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that GIVEN operated his drug business out of a Lowell townhouse and used a nearby hotel room to store ecstasy and other drugs. GIVEN negotiated to sell ecstasy to a DEA undercover agent at the Burlington Mall on two occasions and then sent an associate to the mall to make the deliveries. At the time of GIVEN’s arrest, more that 8,000 ecstasy pills as well as amounts of marijuana, methamphetamine, oxycontin, cocaine, and nearly $30,000 in cash were seized.

The case was investigated by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Lowell Police Department, and the Southern Middlesex County Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys in Sullivan’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit.