Man gets eight months in federal prison for dealing drugs in his family's Dorchester basement while employed at City Hall
A federal judge today sentenced Gary Webster to eight months in prison after he was monitored five times selling cocaine and fentanyl on Codman Hill Avenue in Dorchester in 2016, while he was working as director of constituent services for at-large City Councilor Michelle Wu, who at the time was city-council president, the US Attorney's office reports.
By the time of his arrest in 2018, as part of a 29-person federal and state roundup, Webster had moved over to the BPDA, where he worked as a project manager - his arrest forced the agency to postpone a hearing that night on a proposed Allston residential building he had been shepherding through the regulatory process. Webster is the second BPDA manager sentenced to federal prison this year.
Prosecutors say Webster was caught in surveillance selling a total of 300 grams - two-thirds of a pound - of cocaine and 49 grams of fentanyl to a buyer who turned out to have been working with the feds, on five occasions in September and October of 2016.
Webster pleaded guilty last November. Prosecutors had sought 30 months, arguing that even with a guilty plea, Webster deserved at least that much time in prison both because of the harmful effects cocaine and fentanyl have had in eastern Massachusetts and because:
His criminal conduct was not a single isolated incident, but instead a concentrated effort to essentially undermine the same community he was tasked with helping through his government employment. On the one hand, he was selling dangerous drugs in the street for financial gain, while furthering a career in politics with the other. ...
The defendant in this case is a prominent member of the community, who nonetheless engaged in dangerous and harmful criminal conduct. This 30 month sentence, if imposed by the Court, would be the defendant’s first prison sentence. Given the defendant's education, work history and supportive family, the government anticipates that the 30 month sentence would be sufficient to deter the defendant from returning to drug distribution.
Webster's attorney argued for a more lenient sentence for the Boston Latin School and UMass Amherst graduate, who had worked for the state Department of Transportation and the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal before Wu hired him and who is a father of two.
Gary has worked at his father’s family catering-restaurant business in Dorchester since his arrest in this case.He is an important source of income and financial support to his family.Gary has had a significant period of time to reflect on his criminal behavior and the wrongfulness of his conduct. He understands full well the damage narcotics has had on society and recognizes that his participation in this offense was wrong, is a bad thing and that he should be punished.
The defense sentencing recommendation urged US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs to be lenient because Webster played only a "minor role" in the sales, that he was, in fact, just a go-between for the real drug man, Jonathan Andrade - who was sentenced in 2018 to ten years in prison on charges of selling even more drugs than Webster, as well as unlawful monetary transactions and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Andrade, Webster and the unnamed buyer, the memo continues, are all related and have known each other for years.
Gary was approached at a funeral for his aunt by the cooperating witness in August of 2016. The defendant and cooperating witness are related and Gary has known him his entire life. The cooperating witness asked Gary if he (Gary) could speak with Jonathon Andrade about selling him drugs. The cooperating witness knew from the inception of the investigation that Andrade was the source of the drugs as he knew Andrade for many years because they were also related. For the ensuing cocaine transactions Gary acted as a middleman between the supplier and buyer. For the final purchase (fentanyl) Gary was present and took possession of the buy money in the basement of the Webster family home in Dorchester where Andrade, the cooperating witness and Gary were present. Webster was paid a stipend of $500 for each of the drug purchases, and did not otherwise share in the profits of the drug sales. For each of the cocaine transactions Andrade delivered the cocaine to Gary, after Gary learned the requested drug amount from the buyer. Andrade brought the fentanyl to the final transaction in the basement of the Webster home in Dorchester.
Attachment | Size |
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Prosecution sentencing memo | 343.09 KB |
Defense sentencing recommendation | 142.6 KB |
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Comments
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A complicated web
At first blush, it seems like "lock him up" is the sensible path. But then it turns out he was acting as a middleman between 2 family members and the buyer seemingly narced him out. I think the 8 months he got - plus losing his job and reputation - was plenty. It's really a sad story, given that the guy seemed to have everything going for him.
What about Wu though who
What about Wu though who knowingly employee him in a city position while this was going on?
You're going to have to do better than that
Provide some proof that she knew he was dealing drugs, then we can talk.
She very probably did not
She very probably did not know he was doing this, but it’s perfectly reasonable to question her judgement. She’s running for Mayor. This is definitely cause for concern.
If this individual worked directly for Walsh or Campbell
the WuTrain warriors would be aggressively demanding accountability.
...
We literally do not care
Knowingly
Your use of the word "knowingly" is curious. If you're saying that she knew he was dealing drugs, it's libelous. If you're saying that she knew she was employing him, it's idiotic. Which is it?
What are you a Russian?
Dude can you prove your disinformation.
How the fuck do people make a statements without proving with facts or facts supporting you're claim?
And what makes it even worse how the fuck can anybody agree to something they have no facts supporting it?
Stop agreement to shit that you have no facts.
It's called the Trump Syndrome.
Russia...
"Come on, Man!" Everything is Russian disinformation nowadays....everything...and if you disagree, you're not listening to the "science" or the "experts" or something like that.
And you're a racist.
Ummm, no
A single dope peddler pushing fentanyl kills and maims more than even the most prolific serial killers can even dream of.
Turns out the cops watched him make 5 sales.
So it turns out that's way to many times to say "I was holding this for my cousin". The title you are looking for is Low Level Drug Dealer, not Middleman. Unclear why you have chosen to adopt him. Not that street level sales is a huge deal, but neither is 8 months (soon to be 4).
Bleeding heart liberals
I can put over 10,000 mothers in front of you who have lost loved ones to the drugs of fentanyl cocaine and heroin and I dare you to tell them that eight months is only enough for dealer.
Listen I'm empathetic to this guy too however, I've been to Rally and other events, especially the one that was held at Boston Superior Court prior to the pandemic and I looked at those photos of DEAD children's faces who were lost to drug addiction and drug abuse.
At least this guy is still alive.
This is Boston
His job will be waiting for him when he gets out.....or maybe he'll get a little demotion.
I'm half kidding.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall
at that family's Thanksgiving dinner.
Wasn't Diane Wilkerson given 3 year sentence or so?
but this guy wasn't wearing a stuff able bra, so...
One key difference
She had been in trouble with the law before (on the federal level, for tax evasion), while this guy hadn't. Judges take past records into account as part of their sentencing decisions. And the fact that the accomplice (the selling relative) got 10 years shows it's not like the feds were downplaying this particular bit of drug activity.
There's always ...
the stuffable codpiece.
8 months in prison
Isn't prison usually for sentences longer than 12 months? Did he have time served?
Out in time for a new mayoral
Out in time for a new mayoral cabinet level position.