Kevin Williams, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Vermont 2020

Grimy Times Exclusive: Five Indicted in Addison County Drug Conspiracy

In a major blow to Vermont's illicit drug trade, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 15, 2020 charging five individuals with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in and around Addison County, Vermont between November 2019 and October 2020.

The lead defendant, Kevin Williams, also known as Taco, supervised the transportation of controlled substances from his home city of Paterson, New Jersey to locations in Vermont for distribution, including New Haven and Cornwall.

Williams was arrested for the offense while he was present in Vermont on October 11, 2020, and he was arraigned today in Burlington before U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy in conjunction with a hearing on his detention or release pending trial. The defendant pleaded not guilty and was detained pending trial.

The other defendants charged along with Williams are Abigail Quesnel, 52, and John Quesnel, 57, both of Cornwall, Vermont; Sue Hutting, 61, of New Haven, Vermont; and Brittany Grover, 35, of Bristol, Vermont.

If convicted of this offense, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment and up to a $5 million fine. The actual sentence for each defendant, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This indictment follows an eleven-month investigation conducted by multiple state and federal agencies that was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 5,000 glassine baggies of heroin, more than 200 grams of cocaine, and over $12,000 in currency, and investigators obtained evidence of historical amounts well in excess of those seized.

Agents also seized several firearms tied to the investigation. ‘ATF will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts to vigorously combat drug traffickers and the threat they pose to our citizens by illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of their illegal drug trade

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Kevin Williams is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Counsel has not yet appeared in the case for the other defendants.

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/multiple-individuals-charged-addison-county-drug-conspiracy