Fall River inmate sentenced today on drug charges

BOSTON – An MCI-Cedar Junction inmate was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.

William Guillemette, 39, an inmate at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ) in South Walpole, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 18 months in prison to be served consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving and three years of supervised release. In April 2019, Guillemette pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam.

In September 2018, William Guillemette was indicted along with his mother, Margaret Guillemette, 58; his wife, Lisa Guillemette, 42; and Chad Connors, 42, also an MCI-CJ inmate.

William Guillemette and Chad Connors were inmates housed at MCI-CJ’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). Connors was involved in a romantic relationship with Christine Ramos, a nurse assigned to the DDU. At Connors’ request, Ramos agreed to smuggle contraband, including controlled substances, into MCI-CJ. In order to do this, Ramos opened two P.O. Boxes through a third party. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes and, at William Guillemette’s direction, Lisa and Margaret Guillemette, obtained and sent Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the DDU and delivered them to Connors. William Guillemette and Connors distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment for the drugs. Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.

Chad Connors and Lisa Guillemette previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Margaret Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served (five days), two years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam and was sentenced two years of probation.