Shequille Carter Sentenced to Five Years in Prison For Federal Drug Offense

 The Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Shequille Carter, 28, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and more than 28 grams of cocaine base.  Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Carter serve a four-year period of supervised release following the prison term.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 21, 2019, Carter traveled with two others from the Burlington area to a St. Johnsbury residence linked to drug trafficking. After a brief stop at the residence, Carter and the others were driving back toward Burlington when a Vermont State Trooper stopped their car for a traffic infraction. A search of the car’s interior yielded approximately 290 bags of heroin laced with fentanyl and approximately 41 grams of crack cocaine. The drugs were recovered from a center console in the rear seat of the vehicle, where Carter had been sitting. Carter also had $3,071 in cash on his person. In Carter’s cellphone, investigators found text messages and other entries indicative of drug-trafficking, including messages arranging sales of heroin and cocaine.  A federal jury in Rutland convicted Carter of this offense following a two-day trial in September of 2020. 
 
At the time of Carter’s drug trafficking activity in Vermont, he was serving a term of supervised release following a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute marijuana sustained in the Southern District of New York.  Carter subsequently failed to appear for revocation proceedings in the Southern District of New York, and absconded supervision.  On January 2, 2020, DEA agents located and arrested Carter in Burlington, Vermont. Carter faces additional proceedings in the Southern District of New York related to his supervised release violations.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Vermont State Police, the Burlington Police Department, and the assistance of the Vermont Drug Task Force. 
 
Carter is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth Quinn and Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Waples and Spencer Willig.