Long prison sentence for Stoughton man involved in cocaine ring, bank fraud

BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced to 11½ years in prison Thursday for helping to ship cocaine from Puerto Rico to Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island and for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief money, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Patrick Joseph, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 138 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

In March, Joseph pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and cocaine base, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.

From February 2020 to May 2021, Joseph helped transport 10 to 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and eventually to Massachusetts, via the U.S. mail. The cocaine seized by investigators was found concealed in 2-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and locking cash boxes before being sent through the mail. The investigation led to the search of several drug stash locations and the seizure of dozens of kilograms of cocaine.

During the investigation it was learned that Joseph was involved in a scheme to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic relief program.

More: Plymouth man stole COVID relief money. What the judge gave him

Joseph participated in a scheme that obtained over $220,000 through fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications submitted between April 2020 and April 2021.

Joseph and co-conspirator Yves Montima, of Stoughton, submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications, both in their own names and on behalf of others, at several financial institutions.

The fraudulent loan applications claimed independent contractor income that did not exist and substantiated that non-existent income through falsified tax documents.

In addition to receiving the proceeds from the loans submitted in their own names, Joseph and Montima received kickback payments from people for whom they submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications.

In November 2021, Montima pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy and was sentenced in September 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Stoughton man gets 11 years in prison for drug, fraud crimes