BOSTON, Mass.- The owner of a Brockton clothing store pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearm charges after authorities seized 10 guns, more than 35 pounds of marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and more than $40,000 in cash from the store.
Felipe Jonet-Branco, 31, pleaded guilty August 4 in federal court in Boston. He pleaded guilty to one drug trafficking charge and 10 charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for November 2.
The charges stem from a February 4 search of Banks & Brancos in Brockton. Authorities said the search was part of a larger investigation into the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang.
Eight guns were found in a hidden drawer under the store’s front counter. Authorities also found large-capacity magazines and empty bottles of promethazine with codeine. The guns included a large-caliber rifle and a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
Another gun was hidden inside a vending machine, and a 10th firearm was found in plain view in a storage room.
Authorities also seized more than 200 grams of psilocin mushrooms and more than $40,000 in cash.
Jonet-Branco is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony battery conviction in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The drug charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Each firearm charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. His sentence will be determined by a federal judge based on federal sentencing guidelines and applicable laws.
Subscribe to The Shrewsbury Post Updates
