Boston Gang Member Pleads Guilty In Prison Drug Smuggling Scheme

BOSTON, MA — A Roxbury man pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a drug conspiracy involving the H-Block gang, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Robert Heckstall, 43, also known as “Ribbs,” “Buck,” and “Buck Corleone,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP and two synthetic cannabinoids, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Heckstall was one of 10 H-Block members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multiyear investigation. The investigation began in 2021 in response to an increase in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings, and violence.

According to federal authorities, Heckstall was a longtime gang member and one of three members and associates charged with conspiring to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison.

The scheme involved saturating or spraying sheets of paper with liquid drugs before drying them and printing fake legal correspondence on them. The paper was then mailed to inmates in envelopes marked as legal mail in an effort to have the drugs delivered undetected.

Department of Correction policies generally prohibit inmates from receiving original materials through incoming mail, with an exception for legal mail, which is inspected before delivery.

Investigators seized several sheets of paper containing PCP and synthetic cannabinoids, also known as “K2.” Authorities estimated that a single sheet could be worth as much as $80,000 inside a prison.

Intercepted jail calls revealed that Heckstall and his co-conspirators planned to introduce synthetic drugs into correctional facilities, according to prosecutors. Investigators also recovered three firearms and more than 60 grams of cocaine from his apartment when he was arrested.

The broader investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 500 grams of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, along with more than 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper. Heckstall is the ninth defendant to plead guilty in the case.

The drug charges each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The firearm charge provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled his sentencing for Jan. 26, 2027.

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