Robert Robidoux Gets 36 Months for Heroin Conspiracy

A 33-year-old Richmond, Vermont man has been locked up for dealing poison into his own community. Robert Robidoux was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison on December 16, 2016, after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin across Vermont. The sentence, handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss, marks another conviction in the federal government’s aggressive push to stem the tide of opioids flooding rural areas.

Court records show Robidoux orchestrated heroin deals between June and August of 2015 — all while on parole for a prior felony conviction for heroin possession in Vermont. His return to trafficking so soon after release underscores a pattern of defiance and disregard for both the law and public safety. Judge Reiss didn’t mince words, citing the severity of the crime and the devastation heroin continues to wreak on Vermont towns.

Robidoux faced up to 20 years behind bars under federal statute. The advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines called for 33 to 46 months, and the judge landed at 36 — a sentence shaped by Robidoux’s lengthy criminal record and the broader harm caused by his actions. Upon release, he’ll be monitored for three years under federal supervision, a leash that won’t erase the damage already done.

U.S. Attorney Eric Miller, who oversaw the prosecution, credited the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and the Burlington Police Department for their relentless work in dismantling drug networks. This case, Miller emphasized, is part of the Vermont Heroin Initiative — a coordinated strike force involving federal, state, and local agencies determined to dismantle supply chains and arrest dealers feeding addiction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. handled the prosecution, building a case that left Robidoux no room to negotiate. Represented by Lisa Shelkrot of Langrock Sperry & Wool, Robidoux ultimately entered a guilty plea, avoiding trial but accepting full accountability for his role in distributing a drug that has torn through families and overwhelmed emergency services.

The message from federal prosecutors is clear: Vermont won’t tolerate heroin dealers, especially those who reoffend while on parole. Robidoux’s 36-month sentence isn’t just punishment — it’s a warning. The feds are watching, and they’re coming hard at every link in the drug pipeline.