Hartford Man Charged With Distributing Fentanyl In Vermont
Thursday, January 23, 2025, 7:20 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BURLINGTON, VT.- Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher reported that on Thursday, January 16, 2025, a Federal Grand Jury for the District of Vermont returned an indictment charging Christopher Stephens, 38, of Hartford, Connecticut, with Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Fentanyl.
After being taken into custody on Thursday, Stephens entered a plea of not guilty to the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. On Friday, January 17, 2025, during a detention hearing in Federal Court in Burlington, Vermont, Judge Doyle ordered Stephens detained pending trial.
According To Charing Information Unsealed In Indictment
According to the charging information unsealed in the indictment, it is alleged that during an investigation into narcotics distribution in the City of Burlington, Vermont, on three separate occasions between June 11, 2024, and July 23, 2024, Stephens sold fentanyl to a confidential informant during controlled buys under the observation of law enforcement investigators. Those drug sales occurred within Burlington, Vermont.
Law Enforcement Executes Search warrant
Following the controlled purchases, on June 23, 2024, investigators obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant at a hotel where Stephens was staying in Shelburne, Vermont. During the search, investigators found quantities of fentanyl packaged for street-level distribution.
During Stephens’ arrest on January 16, 2025, inside a Burlington, Vermont residence, investigators found a Walther .380-caliber loaded semi-automatic handgun in the room where Stephens was staying.
Acting U.S. Attorney Drescher commended the investigative work of the Burlington Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont State Police for the investigation and indictment of Stephens.
“The rules of the federal court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
