Evan ‘Red’ Harris Gets 12+ Years for Fentanyl, Firearm Crimes

Evan “Red” Harris, 34, of Burlington, Vermont, is headed to federal prison for more than twelve years after being sentenced to a total of 151 months for running a violent, long-running drug conspiracy and brandishing firearms to protect his operation. Harris was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Christina Reiss, who handed down a 91-month term for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, over 100 grams of heroin, and over 28 grams of cocaine base, followed by a mandatory consecutive 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Court records reveal Harris was the central Vermont distributor in a sprawling narcotics network that flooded Chittenden County with over a kilogram of opiates. He orchestrated regular drug runs between the Bronx, New York, and northern Vermont, using local addicts to carry cash south and return with more than 100 grams of heroin and fentanyl per trip. Those drugs were then cut, packaged, and sold on the streets of Burlington and beyond—with Harris at the helm, directing the flow and enforcing loyalty through fear and violence.

The operation didn’t just deal in volume—it dealt in death. At least two overdoses were linked directly to batches of pure fentanyl sold by Harris or those acting on his behalf at a residence in Milton. Investigators say Harris knowingly distributed the lethal synthetic opioid despite the risks, prioritizing profit over lives. He also exploited vulnerable people, including an elderly Winooski public housing tenant, whose apartment he used as a stash house for over 100 grams of heroin. In exchange for access, Harris supplied the senior citizen with drugs—a predatory arrangement that enabled his trade.

Firearms were a fixture in Harris’s criminal enterprise. He traded heroin for a .45 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol at least once and routinely displayed the weapon while conducting drug deals. That firearm was eventually seized during the August 25, 2016, takedown that ended his run. The coordinated raid, involving federal, state, and local agencies from Vermont and New York, also netted over 350 grams of heroin, more than 70 grams of crack cocaine, and $11,000 in cash—a haul that underscored the scale of his distribution ring.

Harris wasn’t the only one caught in the dragnet. A total of ten people were indicted, including his supplier, Andre “Buzzo” Terrell, who has since pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and awaits sentencing. The investigation was a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Vermont State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York State Police, the Shelburne Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Burlington Police Department—a testament to the reach and danger of Harris’s operation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Harris was represented by Bradley S. Stetler, Esq. As he begins his 151-month sentence, the streets of Chittenden County are one dealer shorter—but the damage left in Harris’s wake, in broken bodies and shattered lives, will linger long after his release.

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