To go places usually means to find success or progress in some area of life, but in this sentence the group will help him become unsuccessful and stagnate.
Consider the statement "The important thing is to get in with a group that can help you become unsuccessful and stagnate, vance said.". Based on this "The important thing is to get in with a group that can help you go places and make connections, vance said." a true statement? Yes, no, or I don't know?