H-Block gang member gets time in federal prison for drug conspiracy charges

BOSTON — A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug conspiracy charges, the U.S. Attorney said Wednesday.

Trea Lankford, a/k/a “Montana,” a/k/a “Heffna Boss Don,” a/k/a “Tre Cain,” 34, of Boston, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin handed down his sentence.

In October 2025, Lankford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Lankford was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 after a multi-year investigation of H Block beginning in 2021, in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings, and violence.

According to court documents, over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

According to the charging documents, the H-Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston.

Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H Block.

Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a gang member shot a Boston Police officer at point-blank range without warning or provocation.

From 2022 through 2023, prosecutors said Lankford, a longtime H-Block gang member, participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, including fentanyl, powdered cocaine, and cocaine base (crack).

On numerous occasions, Lankford conducted drug deals on various dates with an undercover officer, often accompanied by co-conspirators, prosecutors said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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