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CEO of Boston nonprofit facing crack cocaine distribution charges
Javan Tooley is the founder and CEO of Adapt & Evolve LLC.
The CEO of a Boston nonprofit pleaded not guilty to federal crack cocaine distribution charges on Tuesday.
Javan Tooley, 36, of Dorchester and Brockton, is the founder and CEO of Adapt & Evolve LLC, a legal advocacy firm that specializes in criminal records expungement. He was charged with one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Tooley previously served five years in federal prison, from 2010 to 2015, for distributing cocaine. According to authorities, he then violated the terms of his supervised release at lease five times and was subsequently ordered to serve another 22 months.
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Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
Additionally, according to court filings, Tooley allegedly targeted and recruited women, many of whom suffered from substance abuse disorders, to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit and to distribute controlled substances for him. It is alleged that Tooley targeted his victims with acts of violence and provided victims with access to drugs. It is also alleged that Tooley created a climate of fear among the victims by claiming that he had connections to law enforcement and other powerful and influential officials through his non-profit. Tooley also allegedly coordinated drug transactions using the non-profit’s phone.
On Sept. 10, Tooley allegedly distributed 100 grams of crack cocaine in his car with a 6 or 7-year-old child in the back seat in Dorchester’s Fields Corner, which is nearby to his nonprofit’s office.
“Following the transaction, Tooley allegedly contacted a cooperating witness again stating that he had additional crack cocaine to sell and arranged to meet again on Sept. 23, 2025, at an area near the Roxbury District Court,” officials said. “Tooley was taken into custody upon his arrival and allegedly found in possession of approximately 160 grams of crack cocaine.”
Due to Tooley’s prior conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Tooley’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. He is due back in court Friday for a detention hearing.
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