DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Massachusetts

For Immediate Release

Thursday, January 29, 2015
Carmen M. Ortiz
, United States Attorney
Contact: Christina DiIorio-Sterling

Somerville Man Sentenced for Leading Armed Robbery Conspiracy

BOSTON – A Somerville man was sentenced today for leading an armed robbery conspiracy and possessing an illegal firearm.
 
Antonio Correia, Sr., 45, of Somerville, was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 123 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  In April 2014, Correia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
 
After selling five firearms, including a rifle and shotgun, to a cooperating witness, Correia sought to use the cooperating witness to identify a drug dealer whom he could rob.  The cooperator provided this information to law enforcement officers who then created a sting operation using a fictitious target in Malden to investigate Correia.  Correia arranged for five other men to participate in the planned robbery on Aug. 2, 2013, several of whom travelled to Massachusetts from New Jersey the day before.  On that date, Correia and two men traveled to the alleged robbery site in a car driven by the cooperating witness, while three other co-conspirators followed in a pick-up truck.  Correia and another man were each armed with a loaded, semi-automatic pistol.  In addition to the two handguns, the six conspirators also possessed a starter’s pistol (which could be used to intimidate their victim by firing blanks), an electric taser, two knives, pepper spray, plastic zip ties, masks, and gloves.   Once the two vehicles, which were being followed by law enforcement officers, arrived at the alleged site of the robbery, officers participating in the sting operation arrested all of the conspirators. 
 
The five co-conspirators, Antonio Carreia, Jr., Marquis Simmons, Julio Rodriguez, Branden Correia, and Jokarly Fernandez, pleaded guilty to federal charges and were sentenced by Judge Stearns.
 
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis; and Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian, made the announcement today.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Crowley of Ortiz’s Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.
 

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Boston Field Division