BURLINGTON, VT – Melvin Hill, 44, of Tignall, Georgia, is facing a potential life sentence after a Vermont jury found him guilty yesterday on five federal charges related to drug and firearms trafficking. The verdict comes after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Rutland, with Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordering Hill held without bail pending sentencing. Hill has been cooling his heels in jail since his arrest back in March 2022.
The bust began in January 2022 when Burlington narcotics investigators received intel from a confidential source claiming they could score narcotics from Hill. Over the next two months, the source made two separate, recorded purchases of fentanyl from Hill while under police surveillance. The investigation quickly revealed Hill was laying low at a South Burlington hotel. A search warrant turned up a stash of illicit goods and a loaded pistol on Hill himself when officers took him into custody on March 10th. The search of his hotel room and vehicle yielded hundreds of fentanyl folds, methamphetamine pills, powder cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a cool $13,000 in cash.
But the haul didn’t stop there. The following day, a joint operation between state and federal agents raided a storage unit rented by Hill in Burlington. Inside, they discovered even more fentanyl, a second pistol, and roughly a pound of pure methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont quickly adopted the case for federal prosecution, a move that wasn’t a surprise given they’d already secured a conviction against Hill in an unrelated drug case back in 2012.
A federal grand jury ultimately indicted Hill in July 2022, leveling two counts of distributing fentanyl to the confidential source, along with charges of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and significant quantities of methamphetamine. Adding to his woes, Hill also faced two counts of possessing firearms as a convicted felon – a serious charge considering his prior felony convictions in both federal and Georgia state courts. He was already prohibited from possessing any firearms.
Local law enforcement is hailing the conviction as a major win for public safety. Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad stated, “We do not tolerate trafficking poisonous substances into our community, particularly by traffickers who target vulnerable people.” Murad specifically lauded the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Stendig and Waples, alongside the collaborative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle echoed the sentiment, warning other traffickers that DEA is “committed to investigating individuals…responsible for distributing drugs like fentanyl.”
Hill now faces a grim future. He’s looking at up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, and a potential fine of up to $10 million. The final sentence will be determined based on Federal Sentencing Guidelines, but one thing is certain: Melvin Hill’s days of dealing poison in Vermont are over. The case was investigated by a multi-agency task force, demonstrating a coordinated effort to stem the tide of narcotics flowing into the state.
Related Federal Cases
- Purvis, Gun and Drug Trafficking, Connecticut 2023 · Connecticut
- Fentanyl & Firearms: Melvin Hill Gets 15 Years · Vermont
- Quadeall Daniels, Firearms Trafficking, CT 2017 · Connecticut
- Vermonster: Safe Gun Storage Scandal Exposed · New York
- Daniel McSwiggan, Drug Residence Management, VT 2024 · Connecticut
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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