Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Violent Kidnapping

BOSTON – A Pawtucket, Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges related to a violent kidnapping tied to a Cape Cod heroin trafficking ring.

Albert Lee, also known as “Mook,” 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2022. Lee was charged along with four co-conspirators in March 2020.

This case arose from an investigation into a wide-ranging heroin trafficking conspiracy in the Cape Cod area. According to court documents, in April 2019, Lee and his co-conspirators lured a known victim from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, where they kidnapped and held him, stripped him naked, assaulted and threatened to rape him, and then took his clothing and cellular telephone. The purpose of this kidnapping and assault was to retaliate against the victim because Lee and allegedly his co-conspirators erroneously believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. A video of the kidnapping and assault was filmed and maintained by Lee’s co-conspirators.

The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.

On Aug. 11, 2022, one of Lee’s co-conspirators, Anthony Basilici, pleaded guilty to his role in the violent kidnapping as well as drug trafficking, witness retaliation and intimidation charges. Three remaining defendants – Cameron Cartier, Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph and Tony Johnson – have pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend; and Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.