News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2005

Former Shrewsbury Man Convicted in Ecstasy Conspiracy

Boston, MA... A former Shrewsbury man was convicted today in federal court of Conspiracy to Distribute Ecstasy and Possession of Ecstasy with Intent to Distribute.

June Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Mark Dragonetti, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; Thomas G. Robbins, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and William J. Hoover, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced today that EDDY AOUDE, age 26, of 47 Gallows Hill Road, Salem, Massachusetts, and formerly of 152 Boston Turnpike Road, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, was convicted by a jury sitting before U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV of Conspiracy to Distribute Ecstasy and Possession of Ecstasy with Intent to Distribute.

Evidence presented during the six day trial proved that from January 2003 to May 8, 2003, when AOUDE was arrested, AOUDE conspired with four others, who were also arrested on May 8, agreeing to sell Ecstasy to, among others, a Massachusetts State Trooper working undercover. In addition, AOUDE was convicted of participating in a deal on May 8, 2003, in which the undercover Trooper had arranged to purchase 4,500 Ecstasy pills at the Piccadilly Pub on Shrewsbury Street in exchange for $30,000 cash, an Uzi submachine gun and two guns with silencers. AOUDE and his accomplices were arrested at the Piccadilly Pub after the undercover saw the drugs and gave an arrest signal to surveillance agents positioned nearby. At the scene of the arrest, agents recovered 4,517 Ecstasy tablets and two guns carried by AOUDE’s accomplices.

Judge Saylor scheduled sentencing for October 19, 2005. AOUDE faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by at least 3 years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

The case was investigated by the DEA’s Worcester Tactical Diversion Squad which includes members of the Massachusetts State Police, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives.

Assistance during the investigation and in making the arrests was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester Police Department.