By Tiffany Williams –
A Brockton man tied to a violent street gang and caught repeatedly selling fentanyl is heading to federal prison for more than a decade.
Joshua Tavares, 29, associated with the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 12 years behind bars followed by five years of supervised release after admitting to multiple fentanyl sales.
The case reads like a warning about the relentless pipeline of fentanyl trafficking — and the dangers investigators say come with it.
In May 2025, Tavares pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. Federal prosecutors say those charges stem from a string of controlled drug buys carried out by a cooperating witness.
The timeline alone is striking.
At the time of those drug sales in 2024, Tavares was already on probation for a 2019 fentanyl conviction. He was also on pretrial release for a separate March 2024 drug arrest.
Despite that, prosecutors said the deals kept happening.
Authorities said Tavares conducted six sales of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue to a cooperating witness between September and November of 2024. Over the course of those transactions, investigators say he sold approximately 549 grams of fentanyl analogue.
Every deal was captured on video.
The investigation didn’t stop there.
On Dec. 3, 2024, investigators executed an arrest warrant along with search warrants at multiple residences and stash houses in Brockton.
What they say they found paints a broader picture of the operation.
During those searches, authorities recovered approximately four kilograms of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, packaging materials for distributing controlled substances and more than $89,000 in cash.
Investigators also located two firearms where Tavares was found — a .40 caliber Glock and a 9mm Glock equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
At another stash location, authorities say they recovered another 9mm Glock firearm fitted with a machinegun conversion device and a tactical laser sight.
The weapons cache included numerous rounds of ammunition and multiple loaded magazines, including a 50-round drum-style magazine.
Machinegun conversion devices — often referred to by investigators as “switches” — are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons.
The case against Tavares is part of a much larger federal investigation targeting the Harvard Street Gang.
According to court documents, the gang has been under federal scrutiny since 2019.
During that investigation, more than 20 leaders, members and associates of the group have been charged with state and federal drug trafficking and firearm crimes.
Authorities say the crackdown has led to the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of drugs — including cocaine and fentanyl — along with more than 45 firearms, including multiple machine guns.
Investigators say the gang has also been tied to violence.
According to court documents, the Harvard Street Gang has been involved in gang violence, including shootings, murders and witness intimidation.
The investigation has already resulted in numerous federal convictions.
At least six defendants connected to the case have received federal prison sentences of 10 years or more. One member convicted after trial was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
The sentencing of Tavares marks another step in the ongoing effort by federal authorities to dismantle the organization.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, announced the sentencing. Investigators from the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton Police Department assisted in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
For federal investigators, the message behind the sentence is blunt: repeat fentanyl trafficking tied to gang activity — especially while already facing charges — will bring serious consequences in federal court.