Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Crack Cocaine

BOSTON - A Fall River man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to drug distribution offenses involving cocaine base, more commonly known as crack cocaine.

Antonio Calderon, 44, pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Feb. 2, 2027. Calderon was arrested and charged in November 2025 and remains in federal custody.

Calderon sold over 28 grams of crack cocaine in the Fall River area on four separate occasions: June 17; June 24; July 16; and Sept. 18, 2025.

Calderon has been arraigned on 31 charges dating back to 2000 and has 13 convictions, including for trafficking cocaine for which he was sentenced to 10-15 years in state prison.

The charges of distribution of 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base each provide for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.