Fall River residents charged in alleged MCI drug smuggling operation

BOSTON – Two MCI-Cedar Junction inmates, and the wife and mother of one of the inmates, were charged in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.

Chad Connors, 42, and William Guillemette, 39, both inmates at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ) in South Walpole, and Lisa Guillemette, 42, and Margaret Guillemette, 58, both of Fall River, were each charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam. Lisa and Margaret Guillemette were arrested today and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon. Connors and William Guillemette will appear at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Chad Connors and William Guillemette were inmates housed at MCI-CJ’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). It is alleged that 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 Post Office Boxes through a third party. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes, and, at William Guillemette’s direction, his wife, Lisa, and mother, Margaret, obtained and sent Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the DDU and delivered them to Connors. It is alleged that Connors and William Guillemette distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment for the drugs.

According to court documents, Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.

Christine Ramos was previously charged and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17, 2018.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines