Michael Prescott, Heroin Dealing, Vermont 2017

A Fairfax, Vermont man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in distributing heroin.

Michael Prescott, 52, was sentenced on March 22, 2017, by U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford for his guilty plea to charges of distributing heroin.

According to court records, Prescott was obtaining heroin and cocaine from an out-of-state source and distributing it in Vermont. On March 7, 2016, Prescott sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA captured the heroin deal on video.

Prescott was arrested on July 18, 2016, and has been in federal custody since. For his crime, Prescott faced a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison.

The United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, recommended that Prescott receive a prison term between 24 and 30 months. The government argued for a sentence within this range. The defense advocated for a sentence of time served.

In determining that a 24-month sentence was appropriate, Judge Crawford considered the severity of the offense and Prescott’s lengthy criminal record, which includes a 2004 federal felony conviction in the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Acting United States Attorney Eugenia Cowles commended the efforts of DEA for their work in this investigation. She 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.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Prescott is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.

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