BOSTON – A member of a national drug trafficking network has been sentenced in federal court in Boston on drug trafficking charges. Investigators seized more than 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns, over 4,200 rounds of ammunition, and dismantled an illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of plants.
James Holyoke, 43, of Stoughton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In August 2022, Holyoke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, along with six counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Holyoke and seven others were originally charged in July 2021, with three additional defendants added in a superseding indictment in September 2021. Holyoke was arrested in August 2021 and has been in custody since.
The investigation began in late 2020 when authorities identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker distributing multi-pound quantities throughout New England. Holyoke, a regular distributor for Alkayisi, purchased and redistributed methamphetamine across the Boston area. Through 11 controlled purchases with a cooperating witness, officials seized over four kilograms of pure methamphetamine from Holyoke.
Alkayisi pleaded guilty in April 2024 and was sentenced in September 2024 to 23 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Holyoke is the ninth defendant sentenced in this case, with the remaining defendants awaiting sentencing.
The case was announced by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New England Field Division. The investigation received assistance from multiple agencies, including the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office, and local police departments across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine.
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This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which targets high-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to U.S. security through a collaborative, intelligence-driven approach led by prosecutors and multi-agency partnerships.
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