BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.
BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for marijuana and tax offenses.
Jacob Sweener, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of supervised release, with the first six months served in home confinement. Sweener was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 and restitution of $90,344. On March 19, 2021, Sweener pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and two counts of filing a false tax return.
From 2013 to January 2017, Sweener conspired with others to distribute marijuana. A search of Sweener’s residence on Jan. 10, 2017, resulted in the seizure of 41 pounds of marijuana and over $69,000 in cash. Sweener also filed false income tax returns for tax years 2014 and 2015 by substantially underreporting his income by more than $300,000 and failing to pay more than $90,000 that he owed in federal income taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Christopher O’Donnell of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
