Career Offender Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Offenses

BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to firearms and drug offenses.

Ricardo Colon, 34, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024.

On March 21, 2022, Colon was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution as well as firearms and ammunition: a .22 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, multiple gun magazines and 140 rounds of ammunition. Colon is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous felony convictions. 

The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg Hudon Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.