Vt. Man, ‘Peeto’, Sentenced to 7.25 Years for Fentanyl, Cocaine Trafficking

Rutland, Vt. – A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation in Vermont.

Jose Luis Maldonado Jr., 33, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Maldonado pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base.

Maldonado was arrested on Oct. 12, 2022, during a traffic stop after law enforcement surveillance observed him and his codefendant, Edgar Correa, placing a shotgun and several bags into the trunk of their vehicle.

During the search, law enforcement seized a loaded pistol tucked between the driver’s seat and center console, a pistol tucked between the passenger seat and the center console, a pistol under the passenger seat, and a shotgun in the trunk of the vehicle. Inside the trunk, they found approximately 24 grams of crack cocaine, 7 grams of powder cocaine, and 560 bags of fentanyl.

In a post-arrest statement, Maldonado admitted to selling drugs in Vermont for almost a year, carrying firearms during transactions, and trading drugs for a firearm. Witnesses reported that Maldonado and his associates engaged in violence while distributing drugs, including pointing a firearm at a woman’s head and pistol-whipping a man.

The investigation also uncovered reports of Maldonado and his associates coercing women into performing sexual acts and bestiality in exchange for drugs or to settle drug debts.

U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative efforts of the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force, the FBI, Vermont State Police, Rutland City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations in the case.

Maldonado was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Owyang and Jonathan Ophardt. His defense was handled by Michael Straub, Esq.

The case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by bringing together law enforcement and the community.