BOSTON – In a significant development in the fight against gang-related drug trafficking, Michael Lopes, known as “Meech,” a 35-year-old associate of the violent Boston-based Cameron Street gang, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking charges in federal court. The plea was entered on February 11, 2024, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young, who has scheduled the sentencing for May 6, 2024.
Lopes, from Pawtucket, R.I., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine), and methamphetamine, stemming from a lengthy investigation into the activities of the Cameron Street gang.
The investigation, which spanned over two years, revealed Lopes’s alleged involvement in a conspiracy with his cousin Anthony Centeio, purportedly the gang’s leader, among others. The group is accused of distributing narcotics across Boston, Braintree, and Pawtucket, R.I., including several transactions with a cooperating witness.