Three men have admitted guilt in a Boston federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking organization based in North Shore. This group distributed a significant number of counterfeit prescription pills with substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine and laundered the profits.
Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr., aged 34 from Saugus, confessed to multiple charges, including conspiring to distribute and holding with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Other charges include possession with intent to distribute different quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, firearm-related offenses, and money laundering conspiracy. His sentencing by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV is set for August 5, 2025.
Gino Castillo, 34, from Salem, admitted to a single conspiracy charge to distribute and possess controlled substances, alongside intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. His sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025. Samuel Saillant, 38, from Lynn, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering, with his sentencing planned for July 11, 2025.
All three were part of a larger group of 27 people, charged starting in October 2022, for a large-scale operation supplying counterfeit prescription pills. Leading the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine-based counterfeit pills were Nagle, Jr., and his brother, Christopher Nagle, particularly targeting the Lynn area.
A search in January 2022 of Christopher Nagle's home revealed over 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Later, on October 25, 2022, a raid on Nagle, Jr.'s residence in Saugus and two additional storage residences—one occupied by Castillo—uncovered more than 7.8 kilograms of fentanyl and over 650 grams of methamphetamine. Authorities also found two Glock guns with ammunition near oxycodone pills. At this time, Nagle, Jr. was legally barred from having firearms or ammunition due to his felon status.
Nagle, Jr. used proceeds from his drug operations to buy the Saugus property in August 2020, with Saillant acting as his realtor. On August 21, 2020, Nagle, Jr. along with Saillant and an accomplice, exchanged drug money for money orders and checks, later used for a house downpayment.
The case announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Stephen Belleau of the DEA's New England Division, and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police. Support came from various local police departments. The case prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, John O. Wray, and Alexandra Amrhein.
This operation falls under the Organize Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, targeting significant criminal groups threatening the U.S. It employs an intelligence-driven, prosecutor-led approach with multiple agencies. Further details on OCDETF are available at the Department of Justice website.