Boston Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for gun and drug offenses.

Omari Peterson, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 29, 2022, Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

In January 2021, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities by Peterson in the Boston area. On Feb. 18, 2021, Peterson sold crack cocaine and cocaine to a cooperating witness. A search of Peterson’s apartment on March 5, 2021 resulted in the seizure of two firearms, a Sig Sauer P220 pistol and a Ruger LCP .380 pistol, along with 136 rounds of various caliber ammunition. During a subsequent search of Peterson’s storage unit in Quincy on March 6, 2021, six additional firearms and 67 rounds of various caliber ammunition were also seized.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.