Malden Woman Pleads Guilty In Drug, Weapons Plot

MALDEN, MA — A Malden woman has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a wide-reaching drug and weapons conspiracy tied to several shootings in Chelsea, Somerville and Cambridge, federal authorities said.

Christina Bernbaum, 23, "participated in a long-running conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess controlled substances, including in large quantities in Massachusetts and in Maine," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office.

The conspiracy involved numerous weapons, some of which were used in shootings from November 2019 to July 2020, the USAO said. At times, Bernbaum acted on behalf of her boyfriend, Jaiir Coleman, while he was incarcerated, according to an FBI affidavit published by Universal Hub.

Coleman and Bernbaum were recorded discussing the sale and distribution of controlled substances, federal authorities said when the couple was arrested in April. Charging documents contain videos and images showing Coleman and Bernbaum brandishing weapons, including a suspected machine gun, the USAO said.

Investigators linked Coleman to five shootings, including four that took place on Nov. 11, 2019 in Chelsea and Somerville, during which homes and vehicles were riddled with gunfire, according to the USAO. He also used a machine gun to fire into a crowd in Cambridge in July 2020, federal authorities said.

Bernbaum pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

Bernbaum will be sentenced April 6 and could face life in prison, as the conspiracy involved a machine gun, federal authorities said. Coleman has agreed to plead guilty as well and has a hearing scheduled for January, Universal Hub reported.