Vermont Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Busted: Two Residents Detained on Federal Charges
In a significant blow to the state’s fight against drug trafficking, two Vermont residents, Steven T. Browne, 37, of Shoreham, and Kayla Ramos, 22, of Rutland, have been detained in federal custody after their arraignment on a charge of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute.
According to the indictment returned by the grand jury, Browne and Ramos possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin on or about October 25, 2021.
The duo was arrested on June 8, 2022, pursuant to warrants issued in conjunction with the indictment. They were arraigned on June 9, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on that charge, and they were held pending detention hearings.
Browne and Ramos each appeared before Magistrate Judge Doyle for separate detention hearings today, and the Court ordered both defendants detained pending trial.
According to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint earlier in the case, police officers encountered Browne and Ramos at a hotel in Middlebury, Vermont on October 25, 2021. Officers removed Browne and Ramos from the room while they applied for a warrant to search the room. While the officers applied for a warrant, Browne and Ramos made multiple attempts to reenter the room, including by trying to break through an outside window.
A subsequent search of the room led to the seizure of more than 3 ounces of cocaine and more than 1,800 individual baggies containing fentanyl or a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.
The charge in the indictment brought against Browne and Ramos is an accusation only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in further proceedings.
If convicted of the crime of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) and (b)(1)(C), both defendants would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Middlebury Police Department (MPD) and the collaboration of investigators between MPD; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Addison County.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher. Steven Browne is represented by Robert Katims, Esq. Kayla Ramos is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.
Mandatory Facts: Defendant Steven T. Browne, Crime Possessing Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute, City Middlebury, State Vermont, Date October 25, 2021, Sentence 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Related Federal Cases
- Nitin Mishra, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Vermont 2025 · Massachusetts
- Deandre Watson, Possessing with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Vermont 2025 · New York
- Sami Hayyat, Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Cocaine Base, Vermont 2022 · South Carolina
- Alexander Marcano, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Vermont 2023 · New Hampshire
- Jose Perez, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Massachusetts 2024 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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