Man violently kidnapped someone he thought was an informant, MA cops say. He wasn’t

A Massachusetts man involved in drug trafficking pleaded guilty to violently kidnapping a man he thought was working with law enforcement, according to officials.

Cameron Cartier, 28, was involved in a Cape Cod heroin-trafficking group known as the Otero drug cell in 2019, according to officials from the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.

In April 2019, Cartier and several others lured a man from Rhode Island to Massachusetts where they kidnapped him, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. In an attempt to retaliate against him for presumed cooperation with law enforcement, they stripped the man of his cell phone and clothes, beat him and threatened to rape him.

A video of the abduction and assault was allegedly filmed by one of the group members, according to the release.

Law enforcement agents had received authorization to intercept one of the group member’s cell phones earlier that month, according to a charging document from 2019.

“Mr. Cartier’s conduct is nothing short of horrifying,” United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said in the release. “This case is a good example of how drug trafficking activities can drive violence in our communities.”

Cartier’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Cartier pleaded guilty on Sept. 30 to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant, according to the release.

The kidnapping charge provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Cartier is slated to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2023.

Two other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges related to the incident in recent months, according to the release. Three others have pleaded not guilty and are expected to go on trial in January 2023.

This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 8:56 AM with the headline "Man violently kidnapped someone he thought was an informant, MA cops say. He wasn’t."