Two Massachusetts Men Plead Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

BOSTON - Two men pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute fentanyl following a series of controlled purchases in Brookline and Boston.

Kerry Charlotin, a/k/a "KG," 36, of Rockland and Shaquylle Burden, 31, of Roslindale, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled Charlotin's sentencing for Oct. 26, 2026. Burden is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 19, 2026. The defendants were arrested in December 2025 and remain detained in federal custody pending sentencing.

According to the charging documents, in June 2025, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities conducted by Charlotin and Burden. The investigation revealed that the defendants were actively selling fentanyl in the greater Boston area. On two separate dates in October and December 2025, Charlotin and Burden sold or arranged the sale of fentanyl to undercover law enforcement during controlled purchases. One firearm was found in Burden's Roslindale residence at the time of his arrest.

At the time of the conduct, Charlotin was on federal supervised release for a 2020 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years 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.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI's Columbia Field Office in South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.