Bronx Dealer Gets 15 Years for Barre Shootout & Drug Run

BARRE, VT – Maxwell Suero, a 25-year-old hailing from the Bronx, New York, will spend the next 15 years behind bars after being sentenced for a brazen drug operation and a violent shootout in the quiet Vermont city of Barre. Suero received a 180-month (15-year) sentence after pleading guilty to charges of discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and conspiring to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base.

The case, pursued by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, reveals a calculated scheme dating back to the summer of 2014. Court records show Suero was funneling cocaine base into Barre, using the residence of co-defendant Melissa Garr as a distribution hub. In exchange for allowing Suero and his associates to operate from her home, Garr received a cut of the profits. The operation expanded when Suero recruited Khari Long, another New York resident, to travel to Vermont solely to deal cocaine base to local buyers.

The operation turned explosive on September 22, 2014. Suero and Long, both armed with firearms, stormed into Garr’s residence intending to confront Garr and rival drug dealers who had begun encroaching on her territory. A firefight erupted, leaving Suero with a gunshot wound to the hand and another man wounded in the left shoulder. The pair fled, leaving a trail of evidence – including Suero’s blood smeared on a basement doorknob – in their wake. Despite the violence, Suero quickly resumed his drug trafficking activities at the same location.

Law enforcement finally caught up with Suero on February 6, 2015. A joint operation involving the Barre City Police Department, Vermont State Police, and U.S. Marshals executed an arrest warrant at Garr’s residence. During the attempt to evade capture, Suero tossed a loaded .45 caliber revolver and 6.5 grams of cocaine base, before being discovered hiding in a basement crawl space. A subsequent search uncovered approximately 150 grams of powder cocaine hidden within the ceiling tiles of one of Garr’s bedrooms.

Prosecutors revealed the scope of Suero’s criminal activity extended beyond Vermont. As part of his plea agreement, Suero admitted to conspiring to distribute over 2.8 kilograms of cocaine base between 2011 and 2015. He also confessed to acting as a lookout during an armed robbery of a restaurant in the Bronx in December 2012. District Judge William K. Sessions handed down the 60-month sentence for the drug conspiracy and a consecutive 120-month sentence for the firearms charge, resulting in the 180-month total.

Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles praised the collaborative investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Barre City Police Department; the Vermont State Police; and the United States Marshals Service. Suero was defended by Chandler Matson, Esq., while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt prosecuted the case. This sentence sends a clear message: bringing violent drug operations into Vermont will be met with swift and severe consequences.

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