Frederick Ryan, Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015
Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: rflynn@town.arlington.ma.us
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Arlington Police Praise Federal Conviction for Career Criminal in Major Drug and Gun Case
ARLINGTON — Police Chief Frederick Ryan is pleased to report that a federal jury has convicted an Arlington man, identified as a drug dealer who sold mixed heroin to two people who later overdosed and died. He will now spend at least 15 years in federal prison.
YRVENS BAIN, AGE 42, OF ARLINGTON was convicted in U.S. District Court in Boston of federal charges including distribution of heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“The Arlington Police Department is committed to making a difference in the nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic. While this includes seeking treatment for addicts, it also includes continuing to aggressively pursue those who profit off of human misery and, in this case, death,” Chief Ryan said. “I am very pleased with the hard work put in by our Arlington Police Detectives and federal law enforcement partners to bring this suspect to justice on the highest level.”
Arlington Police began an investigation into BAIN after authorities suspected he sold heroin laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl to two people who later overdosed and died in Arlington.
BAIN is a career criminal with several drug trafficking and firearms convictions on multiple occasions.
Police arrested BAIN on April 1, 2014 and had to take him to a local hospital after he swallowed a quantity of heroin during his arrest. A search of his residence eventually located at .45 caliber handgun with a destroyed serial number, 26 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and thousands of dollars in cash.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani has scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2016.
According to the Department of Justice, the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $2 million.
The case was investigated by a Task Force comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; the Arlington, Boston, Ipswich, and Somerville Police Departments; the Massachusetts State Police, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. Significant assistance was also provided by the Malden Police Department and the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force.
“The successful resolution of this case was partially made possible by the high level of cooperation that exists among municipal police departments in our region and the partnerships we have formed with our counterparts in state and federal law enforcement,” Chief Ryan said. “By working together, we can accomplish great things, and this case is a perfect example. A career criminal, who knowingly sold poison that directly led to the deaths of two people in Arlington, will now spend a significant amount of time in federal prison.”
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