“Career Criminal” Gets 17 Years in Prison

A Boston man described by prosecutors as a career criminal has been sentenced to 17 years in prison on drug and gun charges.

Kenneth Whigham Jr. was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston following his conviction in October on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.

The 33-year-old Whigham was pulled over by state police in February 2013 for erratic driving in the O'Neil Tunnel. A video recording of the traffic stop showed one of the troopers attempting to enter Whigham's car as Whigham slid a loaded handgun under the front passenger seat. The troopers entered the car, found the gun and arrested Whigham. The troopers also seized individually wrapped pieces of crack cocaine packaged for sale.