BOSTON – A Hyannis man pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with trafficking heroin and money laundering.
Christian Chapman, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and money laundering.
In October 2015, law enforcement initiated an effort to address the rising opiate epidemic in Massachusetts and on Cape Cod in particular.
According to court documents, Chapman and other co-conspirators were responsible for a significant quantity of the heroin distributed on Cape Cod.
Investigators said Chapman was a member of the Nauti-Block street gang.
A wiretap investigation led to their arrests and indictment.
Chapman obtained heroin from New Bedford, among other suppliers, and distributed the heroin to numerous drug dealers on Cape Cod.
In total, Chapman agreed to accept responsibility for between 400 and 700 grams of heroin. In addition, Chapman rented a home in Hyannis at which he stored his narcotics. In order to pay the rent, Chapman wired money to the individual whose name was on the lease.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $5 million.
The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2017.
