New Bedford pair found guilty and sentenced in Nantucket cocaine trafficking case

NANTUCKET — A judge has sentenced two people to prison terms after a jury convicted the pair of cocaine trafficking in connection with an arrest three years ago at a Hummock Pond Road home, according to the Cape & Islands District Attorney's office.

Netria Haywood, 54, and Vincent Grant, 70, of New Bedford, were found guilty Friday of drug trafficking following a three-day trial in Nantucket Superior Court, District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said in a statement issued on Monday.

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Nantucket Superior Court Judge Diane Freniere sentenced Haywood to 13 to 14 years in prison and Grant received a sentence of 3 years to 3 years and one day. Assistant District Attorney Max Mitrokostas, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the state, had sought 13 to 15 years for Haywood and 4 to 5 years for Grant. 

Two were arrested on Nantucket in 2019

According to the DA's office, police detectives found more than 350 grams of cocaine in a bedroom the pair shared at the home, in addition to $26,000 in cash, as well as items used in the distribution of cocaine, including scales and cutting agents. Police said the drugs had a street value of $57,000.

Haywood and Grant were arrested at 70 Hummock Pond Road after police detectives and a SWAT team executed a search warrant there, according to a statement from the Nantucket Police Department issued after the arrest. 

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Haywood was found guilty of trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine, and Grant was found guilty of trafficking 18-36 grams of cocaine.

According to Massachusetts law, cocaine trafficking is a felony that carries varying penalties depending on the amount of the drug seized. Conviction of cocaine trafficking carries jail sentences of 2 to 20 years; in cases where less of the drug is involved — 18 to 28 grams — a person must serve at least two years, whereas cases involving 200 or more grams carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 12 years.

The pair was initially arrested on Oct. 27, 2019 as the result of an investigation initiated by Nantucket Police who suspected that Haywood and Grant were distributing cocaine on the island, the DA's office said.

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