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Hampden County resident Jamil Roman, age 44, of Chicopee, was sentenced to seven months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, including a three-month stretch of home confinement, after pleading guilty in November 2021 to drug-related charges.
Specifically, Roman pleaded on Nov. 23, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
Federal prosecutors said that on multiple occasions between January 2014 and March 2014, Roman acted as a "trusted advisor” to co-conspirator Javier Gonzalez – a large-scale drug dealer responsible for distributing vast amounts of drugs in Western Massachusetts.
US Attorney Rachael Rollins said that Roman, the owner of Hampden County-based TWC Auto Body in Holyoke, conspired with Gonzalez to collect a debt owed for four kilograms of cocaine, which was part of a larger load that Gonzalez obtained from a Mexican supply source.
Prosecutors said that "Roman advised others on how to go about collecting drug debts and, in doing so, recalled his past experiences in selling large amounts of drugs.”
In March 2014, Roman and Gonzalez conspired with others to obtain large amounts of heroin and cocaine from Texas, transport the drugs to Holyoke and distribute them in Western Massachusetts, officials said.
In an attempt to conceal the cash payment and anticipated drugs, Roman helped to prepare a hidden compartment, which was loaded into the carrier of a tractor-trailer that Gonzalez drove to Texas for the exchange.
In March 2014, Gonzalez was intercepted by police investigators while traveling to Texas.
Rollins said that during the stop, approximately $1.17 million in cash was seized from the trailer’s hidden compartment, as well as 14 kilograms of heroin and 42 kilograms of cocaine.
In addition, more than $430,000 in drug proceeds was seized from Roman’s residence.
In October 2021, Gonzalez was fined $20,000 and sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
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