Scituate Resident Admits to Federal Firearm, Drug Trafficking Charges

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Philip DeBartolo, 29, of Scituate, pled guilty in federal court in Providence today to being a felon in possession of 12 firearms and to drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field division of ATF; Scituate Police Chief Colonel David M. Randall; and Michael Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England field division.

DeBartolo faces statutory penalties of up to 80 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $2,750,000 when he is sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on December 19, 2014.

DeBartolo pleaded guilty as charged in an 11-count indictment to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of being a felon in possession of nine firearms, one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, one count of manufacture of marijuana, once count of manufacture of marijuana near a school and four counts or marijuana distribution.

No plea agreement was filed in this matter.

According to court documents, on several occasions beginning in August 2013, an undercover ATF agent spoke with and met with DeBartolo to arrange and to purchase three firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, for between $300 and $400 dollars. In addition, on several occasions, DeBartolo sold to the agent plastic bags containing approximately one ounce of marijuana, each for between $200 & $225 dollars.

According to information presented to the court, ATF agents, with the assistance of Scituate Police and DEA agents, executed a court authorized search of DeBartolo’s residence on January 15, 2014, and seized six semi-automatic pistols – five with high capacity magazines, three revolvers and a significant amount of ammunition found hidden beneath the floor boards of a second floor storage room. Agents and officers also seized 31 marijuana plants from the basement.

According to court records, DeBartolo was convicted in Rhode Island state court in 2005 on felony assault, drive-by shooting and firearm charges.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.