Vermont Woman Faces 20 Years in Crack Deal

⏱ 3 min read

Jodi Palmer, 48, of Monkton, Vermont, is looking at up to two decades in federal prison after allegedly peddling crack cocaine to a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) informant last July. The deal – roughly four grams of cocaine base – went down on July 26, 2024. Palmer wasn’t a free woman when she made the alleged sale; she was already behind bars on unrelated charges.

Federal prosecutors hauled Palmer into court on March 16, 2026, a writ of habeas corpus pulling her from the Vermont Department of Corrections. She appeared before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, shackled, to formally answer to the new drug charge. The feds aren’t letting this one slide, and a 20-year sentence is definitely on the table.

The operation was run by HSI, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan leading the charge, backed by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Palmer is being represented by Federal Public Defender Alejandro Fernandez. Details are still tight, but court filings suggest HSI had Palmer dead to rights during the transaction.

A detention hearing is set for March 19, 2026, where a judge will decide if Palmer remains locked up while awaiting trial. It’s important to remember Palmer is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but federal drug cases are rarely a walk in the park. Expect a hard fight.