PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island man convicted of continuing to run a crack cocaine trafficking ring while an inmate at the state prison with the help of his mother has been sentenced to more than six years in a federal prison, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Fellow inmates provided James Gomes, 33, of Pawtucket, with prospective buyers outside of prison and their contact information, according to U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island.
Gomes often passed the information through his 51-year-old mother to two other men, who delivered the drugs to Gomes’ customers.
Gomes frequently called his mother directing her to establish conference calls with the other two men and directing them to sell crack to others, according to a federal investigation. His mother would then keep some of the drug proceeds and deposit the rest into Gomes’ prison account, proseutors said.
Gomes pleaded guilty last October to cocaine distribution charges.
The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his state sentence.
The other two men previously pleaded guilty.
Gomes’ mother awaits trial.
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