PROVINCETOWN – From U.S. Attorney’s office Providence, RI: A Provincetown, MA, man found passed out in a vehicle in Warwick, RI, by police, and to be in possession of more than 230 grams of methamphetamine, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Providence to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Gregory Lee, 49, was arrested by Warwick Police on August 4, 2017, after they discovered two large plastic bags that contained methamphetamine inside of Lee’s vehicle.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 4, 2017, at approximately 8:30AM, officers responded to a 911 call of a person passed out inside a vehicle. After several attempts, officers were able to roust Lee who nervously began looking around his vehicle, under his body and legs, and grabbing at various items within the vehicle. Lee was ordered by police to exit the vehicle.
After exiting the vehicle, Lee was observed by police to be sweating profusely, fidgety, shaking uncontrollably, and unable to stand still. After denying he was in possession of any illegal narcotics, Lee agreed to allow the officers to search his vehicle. From inside a backpack located on the front seat, officers seized two large plastic bags that tested positive for methamphetamine. The bags of methamphetamine weighed 115.9 and 115.6 grams respectively.
Lee’s guilty plea before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
Lee, who was released on $100,000 bond with surety one day following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on August 7, 2017, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on February 9, 2019.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by statutory penalties of a minimum mandatory 10 years up to life in federal prison, up to lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose and Ly T. Chin.
