Nauti-Block leader #3 gets 9… but is it enough?
HN FILE IMAGE – March 2015 – Detectives and a drug sniffing dog from the Yarmouth Police Department sweep an area of the mall after arresting Wilkins… (Insert) booking photo of Christopher Wilkins… [CLICK HERE FOR STORY OF ONE OF WILKINS’ ARRESTS]
HN NOTE: In Monday’s press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, Christopher Wilkins, age 29, of Hyannis, was sentenced by a Federal Judge to 9 years in prison for “trafficking large quantities of heroin and cocaine, a firearm offense, and laundering approximately $200,000 in drug proceeds. And judging from numerous past HN reader comments related to similar stories involving the now “infamous” (at least regionally) Nauti-Block Gang, many will likely, again, express outrage at what they believe is a relatively short length of prison time, especially when considering the costs and damages perpetrated upon our community by some of these individuals.
Is Wilkins’ prison sentence long enough? Feel free to share your perspectives in the comment section, either on Facebook or this page.
The following is the actual press statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:
HYANNIS MAN SENTENCED FOR DRUGS, MONEY LAUNDERING, AND FIREARM OFFENSES
BOSTON – A leader of the Cape Cod-based Nauti-Block gang was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking large quantities of heroin and cocaine, a firearm offense, and laundering approximately $200,000 in drug proceeds.
Christopher Wilkins, 29, of Hyannis, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to nine years in prison and four years of supervised release. In May 2017, Wilkins pleaded guilty to nine counts of possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and distribution of heroin; one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine; one count of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute; one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Wilkins is one of three leaders of the Nauti-Block gang that operated on Cape Cod from approximately 2010 until early 2015. Wilkins, Denzel Chisholm, and Christian Chapman were responsible for multiple kilograms’ worth of heroin distributed on Cape Cod. Wilkins distributed heroin to other drug dealers and to heroin users on nearly a daily basis.
In addition, on March 7, 2016, Wilkins attempted to obtain a firearm from a co-defendant in exchange for 10 grams of heroin. The firearm was recovered before it could be passed to Wilkins. Wilkins also laundered over $200,000 in narcotics proceeds by depositing the drug money into bank accounts set up in his wife’s name, thereby concealing the origin and source of the funds.
On Sept. 15, 2017, Chisholm was sentenced to 342 months in prison; and on July 12, 2017, Chapman was sentenced to eight years in prison.