March 29, 2007

Waltham man sentenced to federal prison for marijuana trafficking

BOSTON - A Waltham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for trafficking in marijuana.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Investigations in Boston, announced that Anthony F. Saunders, 43 of Waltham, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 19 years and 7 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Woodlock also ordered that Saunders forfeit $6.2 million in drug proceeds. On September 18, 2006, Saunders was convicted by a trial jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Evidence presented during the trial proved that Saunders was the leader of a ten-defendant marijuana trafficking group that operated out of Billerica and Waltham from 2002 through 2004. The drug trafficking ring also involved Saunders' mother, Sandra Saunders, 62, who was also convicted at trial and sentenced to ten years' incarceration. Saunders' stepfather, Leon Romprey, 65, pled guilty in June 2006, to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to five years incarceration. Co-defendant William Stanley, 46, of Waltham, also pleaded guilty to charges in June 2006, and was sentenced last week on March 20, 2007 to 22 years imprisonment.

ICE and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Pelgro, David G. Tobin and Nancy Rue in Sullivan's Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit prosecuted the case.

-- ICE --