Framingham Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

BOSTON – A Framingham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Edwin Alago, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2023, Alago pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

In May 2021, Alago was found by police inside a car that was parked outside of a Framingham business. The lights were on and the car was running, but Alago was unresponsive and did not appear to be breathing. Officers roused Alago, removed him from the car and found that he was in possession of Xanax, gabapentin and cocaine. Alago’s fingerprints were also found on a SCCY .9mm CPX-2 semi-automatic pistol that was in the car. The gun had a defaced serial number and was loaded with seven rounds of .9mm ammunition. Alago was combative and spit on police officers. 

Alago was charged in Framingham District Court with possession of a Class E substance (Xanax and gabapentin), possession of a Class B substance (cocaine) and assault and battery on a police officer. He pleaded guilty to these charges in October 2023 and was sentenced to 30 days in prison to run concurrent with the federal sentence imposed today.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes 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.