BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced in federal court in Boston yesterday for his role in a trans-national marijuana scheme that distributed thousands of pounds of marijuana and laundered millions of dollars in proceeds.

Michael Gordon, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 15 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay forfeiture of $5,030,812, to forfeit his interests in a house in Randolph, two houses in Florida, $371,239 seized during the investigation, and an Acura SUV used to facilitate his crimes.

In December 2017, Gordon and his co-conspirator, Daphne Jean, were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiring to launder drug money through real estate transactions. Gordon was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms (2200 pounds) of marijuana and various counts of money laundering involving the purchase of real estate in Florida and Randolph.

From at least July 2011 to November 2014, Gordon shipped large amounts of marijuana from sources in California to Boston through the U.S. Postal Service and Federal Express, and then distributed the marijuana in the Boston area. Jean assisted Gordon by renting apartments that were used to receive the shipments of marijuana, and helping to launder drug proceeds. The operation produced millions of dollars in profits, and Gordon and Jean laundered the drug proceeds by participating in various financial transactions in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Jean is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2018.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Raymond Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Substantial assistance was also provided by Homeland Security Investigations in San Francisco; the Boston, Norwood, Randolph and Needham Police Departments; the Sonoma County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Department; and the Irwindale (Calif.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Beausey and David G. Lazarus are prosecuting the case.