SPRINGFIELD — In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, law enforcement agencies joined forces to arrest four individuals on firearms and drug charges following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe on Berkshire Avenue.
Springfield Police Department’s Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU), along with Massachusetts State Police, Vermont HSI, Massachusetts HSI, and Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, executed a federal search warrant around 4:50 a.m. at a residence on the 400 block of Berkshire Avenue.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont released information stating that Hussein Iman, 20, of Springfield, and Joseph Cadorette, II, 37, of Williamstown, face federal charges for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base.
While Cadorette’s initial court appearance was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the U.S.
District Court for the District of Vermont, Iman’s appearance in Massachusetts is pending.
Court documents assert that from March to July, Iman, known as “Q,” led a drug trafficking operation distributing narcotics in Vermont, including sales to undercover agents.
Iman allegedly bragged about the strength of his fentanyl, which reportedly caused immediate overdoses that Narcan couldn’t counteract.
The operation’s distribution center was located on Cadorette’s property in Williamstown, where transactions were made in a camper.
On the day of the arrests, officials also searched and issued arrest warrants at Cadorette’s Vermont property and Iman’s Springfield home, discovering guns and suspected narcotics.
Ismail Ali, 25, and Geneva Brown, 20, both of Springfield, face multiple firearms-related charges, including possession without a license and possession of a high-capacity feeding device.
Additionally, a 17-year-old male from Ludlow was taken into custody, but due to his age, details on his identity and charges are withheld.
The U.S.
Attorney’s Office emphasized that the charges are allegations, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, the defendants could face up to 20 years in prison, with actual sentences influenced by federal guidelines and statutory factors.
