Mass. brothers charged with firearm, drug offenses
The charging documents stated that in 2024, 38-year-old Maurice Bennett was identified by law enforcement as a member of the Bloods street gang in Lynn. Maurice also had prior convictions for violent crimes related to firearms.
West Roxbury woman charged with DUI in Vermont
Investigators were able to intercept text messages between Maurice and his brother, 29-year-old Meliek Bennett, in which they allegedly coordinated the distribution of drugs such as marijuana, counterfeit pills, prescription medication, and cocaine. The messages also allegedly discussed sharing drug customers and supplies, and taking a trip to New Hampshire to sell substances there together.
In September 2024, investigators obtained a recorded conversation in which Meliek allegedly said that he planned to use a silenced pistol to shoot up a drug supplier's residence and potentially murder the supplier. Meliek said through texts with Maurice and on the recording that he owed the drug supplier a debt after the supplier had beaten him up.
Shortly afterward, officers executed a search warrant at Meliek's residence in Lynn, where they located a .22 caliber pistol with a threaded barrel and ammunition. They also found fentanyl tablets, oxycodone, gabapentin, and marijuana.
Meliek and Maurice were charged last Thursday by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Meliek was also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The brothers will be sentenced at a later date and could face up to 20 years in prison and at least five years of supervised release.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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