Kevin Tocker-Rose, Possessing with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Vermont 2016

A former Brooklyn man will spend the next 40 months behind bars for his role in Vermont’s heroin trade.

Kevin Tocker-Rose, 30, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of possessing with the intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered that Tocker-Rose serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

According to court records, Tocker-Rose was transporting significant quantities of heroin from the New York City area for re-distribution. On May 5, 2016, after an investigation involving the controlled purchases of heroin from Tocker-Rose, the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and other law enforcement agencies arrested Tocker-Rose in Burlington after he departed a bus from New York City. From his person, law enforcement recovered approximately 30 grams of heroin.

Tocker-Rose faced a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison. The United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, recommended that Tocker-Rose receive a prison term between 46-57 months. In determining that a more lenient sentence was appropriate, Judge Sessions considered Tocker-Rose’s difficult childhood and strong family support, among other factors.

United States Attorney Eric Miller commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Burlington Police Department for their coordinated work in this investigation.

Miller noted that this case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Vermont Heroin Initiative, which is a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat heroin distribution in Vermont. According to Miller, the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners will continue to disrupt the flow of heroin into Vermont and hold drug dealers accountable for their serious crimes against the community.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Tocker-Rose is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender David McColgin.

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