Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking

BOSTON - A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl to obtain four firearms.

Caesar Ross, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ross was arrested and charged in September of 2023 and has been in custody since his arrest. Today he pleaded guilty to an Information. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Oct. 29, 2024.

In 2022, an investigation began into Ross and others for engaging in firearms trafficking and other violations of federal firearm laws. In September 2023, Ross met with a cooperating witness in Quincy to whom he provided approximately 60 grams of fentanyl in exchange for four firearms, each of which had no visible serial number: a Beretta 92F, 9mm pistol; a Beretta Elite IA 9mm pistol; a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol; and a FN Herstal 5.7, 5.7x28mm pistol. Ross was immediately taken into custody.

The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division and the Quincy Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.