RUTLAND, VT – Melvin Hill, 45, formerly of Tignall, Georgia, is headed to federal prison for fifteen years after a jury found him guilty of a sprawling drug and firearms operation in Vermont. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford handed down the 180-month sentence today, followed by a ten-year term of supervised release. Hill has been cooling his heels behind bars without bail since his arrest back in March 2022.
The bust began to unfold in January 2022, when Burlington narcotics investigators received intel from a confidential source claiming Hill was slinging narcotics. Over the next two months, the source completed two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hill, all captured on tape and under police surveillance. Investigators tracked Hill to a South Burlington hotel and secured a warrant to search both his room and vehicle. The March 10th raid yielded a loaded pistol and crack cocaine on Hill’s person, along with hundreds of folds of fentanyl, methamphetamine pills, and powder cocaine discovered in his car and hotel room. A hefty $13,000 in cash was also seized.
But the haul didn’t stop there. The following day, a joint state and federal operation targeted a Burlington storage unit rented by Hill. Inside, agents found even more fentanyl, a second pistol, and approximately one pound of pure methamphetamine. This wasn’t Hill’s first rodeo with the feds; the U.S. Attorney’s Office had previously secured a conviction against him in an unrelated drug case back in 2012, clearly indicating a pattern of criminal behavior.
A federal grand jury in Burlington returned a superseding indictment in July 2022, charging Hill with two counts of distributing fentanyl to the confidential source, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and large quantities of methamphetamine, and two counts of possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Hill was already legally barred from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions in both federal court and his home state of Georgia. The jury didn’t buy his defense, convicting him on all counts last summer.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in analyzing the recovered firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Waples and Zachary Stendig successfully prosecuted the case. Hill was represented at sentencing by Karen Shingler, Esq., but her efforts weren’t enough to sway the judge.
This case serves as a stark reminder that the trafficking of deadly drugs like fentanyl, coupled with illegal firearms, will be met with a full and forceful response from federal authorities. The fifteen-year sentence handed down to Hill sends a clear message: Vermont won’t be a safe haven for pushing poison and packing heat illegally. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to dismantle drug and gun networks operating within the state.
Related Federal Cases
- Hill Gets 15 Years for Meth & Stolen Gun · Georgia
- Derrell Lee Sentenced in TD Bank Identity Theft Scheme · New Jersey
- New London Gun Trafficker Sentenced to 46 Months · Georgia
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Washington
- Amgen Inc. $71M Settlement · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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