Boston gang members, associates facing slew of firearm, drug trafficking charges

Eight gang members and their associates have been indicted on firearms and drug trafficking charges, according to federal authorities.

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement that seven of the defendants are members or associates of the Columbia Point Dogs and Johnston Road gangs. statement Thursday. The defendants allegedly worked together to sell weapons and drugs to gang members and others in Boston, Brockton, Randolph, and parts of southeastern Massachusetts.

The following are the names of the accused and the charges against them:

• Rufe Williams, 28, of Randolph, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms without a license, felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
• Champ Brown, 22, of Dorchester, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms without a license.
• William Brown, 27, of Dorchester, was charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms without a license and unlawful possession of an automatic weapon.
• Hussein Akram, 27, of South Easton, is charged with conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
• Myles King, 26, of Weymouth, is charged with conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
• Junior Jean Louis, 26, of Miami, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
• Malachi Martinez, 31, of Brockton, was charged with felony possession of ammunition.
• Jillian Carabello, 23, of Medford, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms without a license.

Prosecutors said the charges stem from a seven-month federal investigation that yielded 18 firearms, more than 20 automatic weapon switching devices, also known as switches, and large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine.

From at least January 2025 to approximately April 21, 2026, Williams, Champion Brown, William Brown, and Crabello conspired to trade firearms without a license. They allegedly sold 18 firearms to an undercover agent and a cooperating witness, including several high-powered rifles and tactical rifles with an extended clip, according to prosecutors.

Among the firearms sold were a Glock pistol with an obliterated serial number, an attached switch, four additional conversion devices and another high-powered rifle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

When federal authorities searched Champion-Brown’s apartment, they allegedly found 21 keys and five firearms. Two of those firearms were AR-style pistols, two had obscured serial numbers, and one had a key attached to it, prosecutors said.

Conversion devices, or switches as they are synonymously known, can convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns capable of firing all rounds in a magazine with a single pull of the trigger. It is usually attached to the back of the pistol’s slide, disabling the mechanism that limits firing to one shot per pull of the trigger, according to prosecutors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said keyed handguns are extremely dangerous because they are not designed to support fully automatic firing. As a result, they can fire hundreds of rounds in seconds.

“The alleged conduct is chilling, to say the least,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in the statement. “I think it goes without saying that today’s arrests and seizures have made our communities safer.”

Williams, Akram, King and Lewis also allegedly conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 28 grams of cocaine. Federal authorities searched Akram’s home, where they seized more than a kilogram of fentanyl, and Martinez’s home, where they found a custom-made loaded firearm, also known as a ghost gun, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said two of the defendants have prior federal convictions and are currently on supervised release. King is also on pretrial release in a pending state murder case.

On each count, the defendants face the following potential penalties:

• Conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking without a license: up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000
• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl: 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base: five to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
• Being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition: imprisonment for up to 15 years, supervised release for up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000
• Unlawful possession of a machine gun: up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.