Matthew Guglielmetti

PROVIDENCE - Mobster Matthew L. Guglielmetti Jr. and two associates who were indicted this week in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy will not be getting out of jail any time soon.

Lawyers for Guglielmetti, Alan Blamires and Anthony Moscarelli entered pleas of not guilty on behalf of their clients yesterday after they were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.

The lawyers also waived their rights to argue that the three defendants should be released pending trial.

Still, U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Martin told the lawyers that they were free to contact the court in the coming weeks to reschedule a bail-reduction hearing.

"They may request a detention hearing at any time in the future," he said.

Martin also said that the case has been assigned for trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 28 at 9:30 a.m.

The three men were handcuffed and wearing matching prison-issued khaki outfits in court yesterday. Guglielmetti wore reading glasses and reviewed a report that the probation department prepared for the court.

The hearing lasted about 10 minutes.

Guglielmetti, Blamires and Moscarelli all have criminal records and have spent time in federal or state prisons.

On Jan. 18, a team of FBI agents, state police and Providence police officers arrested Guglielmetti, 56, on the drug charges for allegedly agreeing to provide security for a shipment of cocaine that was said to be passing through Rhode Island en route to Canada.

The authorities said that Guglielmetti agreed to be paid about $60,000 for guarding 67 kilograms of cocaine. Guglielmetti is a longtime capo regime, a high-ranking official, in the Patriarca crime family.

According to affidavits, on Jan. 18, an undercover FBI agent gave Guglielmetti the key to a hotel room at an undisclosed location in Rhode Island and told him to have his two associates -- Blamires, 49, and Moscarelli, 44, -- in the room that night.

Blamires and Moscarelli allegedly arrived at the hotel room about 6 p.m. and met with two undercover agents, who had the cocaine packed in suitcases. They are accused of staying in the room for five hours while the undercover agents removed 18 kilograms of cocaine.

They left the hotel room about 11 p.m., after Guglielmetti allegedly told them via cell phone that their job was finished.

Guglielmetti was arrested on Jan. 20; Blamires and Moscarelli were picked up the next day. All three have been held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, in Central Falls.