News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2003

Springfield Man Pleads Guilty To Distrbute Crack Cocaine

Springfield, MA…A Springfield man was convicted on Thursday, September 18, 2003, in federal court of distributing and conspiring to distribute, crack cocaine.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and United States Attorney Michael Sullivan announced that Lincoln BROWN, age 34, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Posner to three counts of distribution of crack cocaine and one count of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.

At the plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government's evidence would have proven that between December of 1999 and September of 2000, BROWN and three co-defendants sold 900 grams of crack cocaine to an undercover police officer. Co-defendant Edwin Rodriguez, age 29, of Springfield, pleaded guilty in August of 2001 and was sentenced to 180 months in prison. Co-defendants Jerome Capleton, age 28, and Gary White, age 32, both of Springfield, were convicted after a two week jury trial before Judge Posner in September of 2001 and were sentenced to 360 and 292 months in prison respectively.

Judge Posner scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2004. Brown faces up to life imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

The case was investigated by the Springfield DEA Task Force.

Press Contact: Anthony J. Pettigrew, (617) 557-2138