Woonsocket Barber Sentenced To 5 Years For Cocaine Trafficking

WOONSOCKET, RI — A Woonsocket barber owner was sentenced to five years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine in and around his barber shop. U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Jason Simpson, 34, to 60 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on a charge of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.

The FBI'S Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force opened a 2019 investigation into Simpson and two other men that included electronic surveillance of the selling of more than 41 grams of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

On July 2, 2019, FBI agents conducted a warrant search of Simpson's barbershop and also discovered a 9mm pistol and two pistol magazines found hidden inside of a printer, according to court documents.

Simpson pleaded guilty in October.

The two other men who were subjects of the investigation, James Ruth, 31, and Sean Breton, 27, also pleaded guilty to drug charges. Ruth was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison on Feb. 6. Breton is awaiting sentencing.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.