Inmate at State Correctional Facility Sentenced on Drug Charges

BOSTON – An inmate at a Massachusetts correctional facility was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.

Chad Connors, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 48 months incarceration, 30 of which is to be served consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, Connors pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam.

In September 2018, Connors, who was an inmate at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ) in South Walpole at the time, was indicted along with William Guillemette, 39, also an MCI-CJ inmate, Margaret Guillemette, 58, and Lisa Guillemette, 42.

Chad Connors and William Guillemette were inmates housed at MCI-CJ’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). Connors was involved in a romantic relationship with Christine Ramos, a nurse assigned to the DDU. At Connors’ request, Ramos agreed to smuggle contraband, including controlled substances, into MCI-CJ.  In order to do this, Ramos opened two P.O. Boxes through a third party. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes and, at William Guillemette’s direction, Lisa and Margaret Guillemette, obtained and sent Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the DDU and delivered them to Connors. Connors and William Guillemette then distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment for the drugs. Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.  

William Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to18 months in prison to be served consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving and three years of supervised release. Lisa Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served (5 days), 30 months of supervised release and 300 hours of community service. Margaret Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served (five days), two years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam and was sentenced two years of probation.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Carris, of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted case.