Michael Goodnough, Cocaine Base Trafficking, Vermont 2024

Rutland Man Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment for Cocaine Base Trafficking

A 46-year-old Rutland man has been sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for cocaine base trafficking.

Michael Goodnough, 46, of Rutland, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford to 24 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.

Goodnough previously pled guilty to distribution of cocaine base, which carried a maximum of up to twenty years imprisonment. According to court records, in October 2018, Goodnough sold a quantity of cocaine base to a confidential informant for $100 in the Beer King parking lot in Rutland.

The government alleged that for several months in 2018, Goodnough regularly sold cocaine base in the Rutland area to support his own drug addiction. After pleading guilty, Goodnough participated in the Federal Drug Court Program in Rutland, beginning in June 2019.

Goodnough struggled in the program, with multiple relapses, failures to attend treatment sessions, and instances of dishonesty. On July 17, 2020, Goodnough was arrested, detained, and eventually discharged from the Federal Drug Court Program. If Goodnough had successfully completed the program, he would likely have received a time-served sentence.

This matter was investigated by the Vermont State Police Narcotics Investigative Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rutland City Police Department. This case was prosecuted on behalf of the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Goodnough was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels of Burlington.

The investigation and prosecution of Goodnough highlights the ongoing efforts to combat cocaine base trafficking in the Rutland area. The Vermont State Police Narcotics Investigative Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue to work together to identify and prosecute individuals who engage in this type of activity.

As a result of Goodnough’s sentence, the community is safer, and those who engage in cocaine base trafficking will be held accountable.

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