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Feds charge over 40 Boston gang members with drug trafficking, COVID fraud, and other crimes in sweeping case

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Feds charge over 40 Boston gang members with drug trafficking, COVID fraud, and other crimes in sweeping case
  • Federal authorities announced charges against dozens of Heath Street Gang members on Wednesday.
  • Charges include drug trafficking, targeted attacks on rivals, recruitment and organized retail theft.
  • Members are also accused of unemployment and COVID-19 fraud worth a combined value of over $900,000.

Dozens of gang members operating mostly out of a public housing development in a Boston neighborhood have been accused of dealing drugs, targeting their rivals in shootings and recruiting young people with the enticement of appearing in their songs and videos, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said the charges against the more than 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang included unemployment and COVID-19 fraud totaling more than $900,000. They are also accused of organized retail theft, in which they allegedly stole thousands of dollars in merchandise from stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Nordstrom and Victoria’s Secret.

“One of the core missions of the Department of Justice is to keep communities safe, and the case we are announcing today goes right to that bedrock priority,” Levy told reporters, adding that nearly two dozen members of the gang were arrested Wednesday morning. Over 60 firearms were also seized as part of the two-year investigation.

FBI FEARS VENEZUELA MIGRANT GANG MEMBERS COULD POTENTIALLY TEAM UP WITH MS-13 KILLERS

“The defendants charged in the racketeering conspiracy have been alleged to be involved in three separate murders and multiple shootings,” he said. “Some of those shootings left innocent victims in crossfire, including a 9-year-old girl who was severely injured attending a family gathering.”

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the case shows the department’s willingness to listen to the concerns of the community in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain. He was hoping the charges and arrests would help build trust with residents.

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Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy speaks at the federal courthouse in Boston on Feb. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)

“These bad actors that we targeted today took advantage of young people,” Cox said.

“They used fear and intimidation and violence to gain personally. They took advantage of the youngest amongst us,” he said. “They took advantage of the sons and daughters in these neighborhoods and turned them to a life of crime. This is an impactful investigation. This is going to be impactful for our city for some time to come.”

The gang members, many of whom are expected to appear in court later Wednesday, are accused of attempting to murder rival gang members, dealing drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, and recruiting juveniles to serve as lookouts, to hold guns and drugs and to “engage in shootings.”

“That is a problem we’re hearing about from urban police chiefs across Massachusetts and frankly across the country,” Levy said. “The honest law-abiding people who live in the Hailey apartments want the same thing we all want. They want to be able to send their children off to school, out to play without fear they are going to be hurt or recruited into a gang.”

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The gang is also accused of widespread pandemic-aid fraud, including one defendant who applied for unemployment assistance in 10 states and Guam. The gang also is accused of submitting nearly two dozen fraudulent employment letters for a company called Married 2 The Mop and bragging of using the pandemic funds to buy over 100 guns.

“We’re seeing gang activity taking advantage of the situation we were all in during the pandemic and the rush to get money out to people who needed it. There was a lot of fraud,” Levy said. “We are seeing this happen in this violent-crime sector that people were taking advantage of the loopholes and the fog of war, if you will, to pump through a lot of fraudulent applications.”

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Northeast

Pilot, passenger swim to safety after plane crashes into New York’s Hudson River

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Pilot, passenger swim to safety after plane crashes into New York’s Hudson River

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A pilot and passenger swam through the frigid waters of the Hudson River and reached shore safely after their Cessna 172 made an emergency landing Monday night, officials said.

The aircraft had taken off from Long Island when the pilot was forced to land in the river just after 8 p.m., the Middle Hope Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

Middle Hope Fire Department responders, along with personnel from other agencies, were dispatched to the scene. After a brief search, first responders located the plane within the City of Newburgh, authorities said.

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A plane wades in the Hudson River. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

Fire officials said the two occupants were able to free themselves from the aircraft and swim to shore. Newburgh Emergency Medical Services evaluated the pair before they were transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

Multiple agencies were on the scene after a plane crashed into the Hudson River. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the incident as “Another miracle on Hudson.” 

“Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries,” the governor wrote in a post on X. “Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions.” 

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A plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson River Monday evening. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

New York Rep. Pat Ryan said he was “closely monitoring reports of a small plane making an emergency landing near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.” 

“I’m in touch with officials on the ground, who have shared that both passengers are safely out of the water & have been evacuated by EMS,” he said. “Incredibly grateful for our Hudson Valley first responders who are responding swiftly and put their lives on the line to keep others safe.” 

First responders found the plane within the city limits of Newburgh. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

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The cause of the emergency landing remains under investigation. 

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Plane crashes spark renewed fear of flying: 10 causes of aviation disasters

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Boston, MA

Boston honors first casualty of American Revolution – The Boston Globe

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Boston honors first casualty of American Revolution – The Boston Globe


“In moments of challenge and in moments of conflict, it does feel easier to put your head down,” Wu said at an event at the Old State House commemorating Attucks.

“Remembering the full history pushes us to be the beacon of freedom that the rest of the country and the rest of the world so very much needs.”

Inside the Old State House’s council chambers, city leaders, historians, and students gathered to celebrate Attucks’ legacy. They talked about the importance of memorializing him during a time when many present said the contributions of people of color to American history were being erased by the Trump administration, and the country’s founding principles were under attack.

Senator Lydia Edwards said the death of Attucks and the four others killed during the Boston Massacre helped establish important legal principles that still guide the country today.

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Following the killings, British soldiers involved in the incident were put on trial. John Adams, who later became president, agreed to defend them in court, arguing that the rule of law must be upheld even during times of intense conflict.

“Even in these moments of strife, oppression of rogue federal government, that we remember that we stood up and still held to our court system, to the rule of law and to due process,” Edwards said. “We also remember who had to die in order to remind ourselves to do that.”

City Councilor Brian Worrell said Attucks was a symbol of the long struggle for equality in the country.

“It’s a story that is a reminder that Black and Indigenous Americans have always been at the forefront [of] the fight for justice,” Worrell said.

He said when he recounts Boston’s Black history, he almost always starts with Attucks’ story.

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“He fought not simply against the tea tax or the Stamp Act, he fought for the most basic of rights. He fought for equal human lives. It’s a fight we as a city are still having,” he said.

Jim Bennett spoke about the Boston Massacre during the commemoration inside the Old State House. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Wu spoke about how on March 5, 2025, she was called to testify before Congress about Boston’s immigration policies during a six-hour hearing. She touted Boston’s safety record amid aggressive questioning, arguing that the city’s immigration policies improved public safety.

“On the 255th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, on Crispus Attucks Day, there was no way that this city wasn’t going to be represented in standing up for what’s right,” Wu said.

A chandelier lit the council chamber and red curtains covered its historic windows. On both sides of the room, students sat with their teachers. Winners of the Crispus Attucks Essay Contest, which invites local students to explore Attucks’ legacy, sat next to the podium.

“Sometimes history repeats itself,” said Toni Martin, an attendee at the event, who came to support her niece, who was being awarded. “Sometimes it gets better, but it takes revolutionary people to make change perfect.”

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Outside of the State House after the commemoration, Sharahn Pullum, 18, who came in second for the essay contest, said, “My inspiration was just getting the opportunity to speak on something that matters.”

Michael Kelly, 65, joined the wreath-laying ceremony that took place at the Boston Massacre Commemorative Plaza. Kelly held a sign that said, “Ice Out Be Goode,” referring to Renee Good, a US citizen who was shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Kelly said he had been standing at the plaza for three hours and is planning to stand there the entire day.

“People can stretch their imaginations to understand that this place, what happened here, is not at all different than what happened in Minneapolis,” Kelly said with tears in his eyes. “People standing up for something they believe in is vastly important, and we can’t be daunted.”

Students from the Eliot School in Boston attended the commemoration. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com.





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Pittsburg, PA

Pirates Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Cardinals

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Pirates Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Cardinals


PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a strong showing so far in the Grapefruit League, but suffered a surprising defeat.

The Pirates lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., taking just their third defeat in Spring Training so far, dropping to 9-3 in the Grapefruit League.

Pittsburgh saw their five-game winning streak come to an end, but they are still level with the New York Yankees at the top of the Grapefruit League standings.

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This game also came after the first off day for the Pirates on March 4 and a 7-1 win over Team Colombia in an exhibition at LECOM Park on March 3.

How the Pirates Fell to the Cardinals

Pirates right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller made his third start in the Grapefruit League and threw three scoreless innings, before giving up a solo home run to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman on a slider down in the zone, putting the road team up 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning.

That represented the first run that Keller gave up all Spring Training and Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Derek Diamond came in for him after he gave up a single to Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker.

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Keller has just a 1.23 ERA over 7.1 innings for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League, a good start for the veteran on the starting rotation.

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St. Louis loaded the bases against Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk in the top of the fifth inning with three walks, but Sisk struckout top prospect in shortstop JJ Wetherholt and forced Gorman into a double play to keep it a one-run game.

Sep 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Evan Sisk (51) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
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Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski gave up a run in the top of the sixth inning, as he walked second baseman Ramón Urías, who stole second base, then gave up a single to catcher Pedro Pagés, doubling the Cardinals’ lead at 2-0.

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The Pirates tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, as shortstop Alika Williams hit a two-run home run off of Cardinals left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews.

Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, hitting leadoff batter Joshua Baez with a pitch and then giving up a single to pinch-hitter Jimmy Crooks to make it 3-2.

Right fielder Ryan O’Hearn had a strong showing for the Pirates in the loss to the Cardinals with two hits in two at-bats. He is now slashing .462/.563/.769 for an OPS of 1.332 in six Grapefruit League games.

Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia had a hit off the bench for the Pirates, as he is now slashing .533/.611/.733 for an OPS of 1.344 in seven games.

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Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!



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