Bennington Dope Pusher “Deven Moffitt Sentenced For Drug & Drug Crimes

Saturday, June 14, 2025, 11:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BURLINGTON, VT.- A 34-year-old Bennington, Vermont, man and local drug dealer will be spending over twelve in federal prison after being sentenced on Thursday for federal narcotics and firearms violations.

     According to Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Deven Moffitt, 34, of Bennington, Vermont, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss to 150 months in federal prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release for his conviction of federal narcotics and firearms violations.

Moffitt Convict On Federal Drug And Firearms Offenses

     On May 16, 2024, Moffitt was convicted by a Federal Jury on the charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Convicted Felon, following a four-day trial in Federal Court in Burlington, Vermont.

According To Court Documents

     According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, During an investigation into narcotics distribution in Bennington, Vermont, on June 1, 2022, Moffitt was taken into custody by members of the Vermont State Police in Bennington, Vermont on an arrest warrant on charges in connection with the death of his former girlfriend, Jessica Hildenbrant, 43, those charges were later dismissed.  

     After being taken into custody, a subsequent search of bags that Moffitt was carrying by State Troopers uncovered over 3,500 single-dose bags of fentanyl, additional bags of cocaine powder and crack cocaine, as well as two firearms, a .22-caliber revolver, and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

     Both handguns were fully loaded, and the 9mm handgun had a bullet in the chamber, with the safety off. Moffitt also had more than $16,000 in U.S. currency on his person at the time of his arrest.

     “Vermont State Police encountered Deven Moffitt, as he possessed two fully loaded handguns, one with a bullet chambered and the safety off,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “He possessed those weapons to protect his stash of over 3,500 bags of fentanyl and more than $16,000 in drug proceeds. It was likely a matter of time before the danger of armed drug dealing would have become a violent reality. We recognize the courage and skill of the Vermont State Police for their efforts protecting the public not only in this case but every day across the state.”