Phillip Wilson, a 37-year-old Burlington man, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his role in a heroin trafficking operation. Wilson pleaded guilty to charges of distribution of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, between February and June of 2016, Wilson sold heroin to an informant on five separate occasions. Law enforcement executed two search warrants at Wilson’s residences, locating a total of 320 bags of heroin, a revolver, and two handguns. Wilson has been in federal custody since his arrest.
Wilson faced a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence and a statutory maximum term of life in prison. The government and the defense agreed that an 84-month prison sentence was appropriate. In imposing that sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss considered the severity of the offense, the harm heroin has caused the Vermont’s community, and Wilson’s criminal record.
Acting United States Attorney Eugenia Cowles commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for their work in this investigation. The case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Vermont Heroin Initiative, a coordinated effort to combat heroin distribution in Vermont.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nate Burris and Kunal Pasricha. Wilson was represented by Mark Oettinger of the Burlington law firm Montroll, Backus & Oettinger, P.C.
Wilson will serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. The Vermont community can rest a little easier knowing that another heroin trafficker is off the streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Heroin Trafficking Ring Busted in Vermont · Virginia
- Marco Antonio Lam Peralta, Heroin Trafficking, Vermont 2015 · Vermont
- Shatu H. Gadson, Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking, VT 2017 · New York
- Leander Hannibal, Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking, VT 2017 · New York
- Vermont Man Charged in Heroin Distribution Case · New York
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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