Burlington Man Sentenced For Attempted Drug Trafficking
Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 3:15 P.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BURLINGTON, VT.- On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Raul Velez, 55, of Burlington, Vermont, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mae D’Agostino to 24 months in federal prison, immediately followed by three years of supervised release for his previously entered guilty plea to Attempted Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute.
According to charging information filed with the District Court, in March 2024, Velez arranged to receive 1,000 grams of cocaine that was going to be shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to Velez at Shelburne, Vermont hotel. The package was intercepted by law enforcement investigators. Investigators then arranged to conduct a controlled delivery of the package to Velez, which did not contain the cocaine, on March 7, 2024.
Following that controlled delivery, Velez obtained the package from his hotel room in Shelburne, Vermont. Velez intended to distribute the cocaine that he thought was inside the package, which was roughly one kilogram in total weight. Shortly after receiving the package, Velez was taken into custody and formally charged.
