|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First
Two out-of-state men suspected of trafficking crack cocaine in the Chittenden County area have been ordered jailed by a federal judge.
Deandre Watson, 35, of Detroit, Mich. and Jamelle Willis, 39, of Brooklyn, N.Y. appeared for separate hearings in U.S. District Court in Burlington late Friday afternoon for charges of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.
Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Watson held as both a danger to the community and a risk to flee based on his criminal record that was outlined in court papers and during the hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt.
Burlington Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reportedly found Watson fully dressed in the bathroom, but hiding in a shower at 75 Sherman Street on Thursday, court records note.
Watson was holding multiple large chunks of suspected crack cocaine, a court affidavit said.
The DEA said more multiple chunks of suspected crack cocaine were found on a red dinner plate with a razor blade on the floor of the bathtub. More crack cocaine was spotted near the tub drain, the DEA said.
Investigators field tested Watson’s fingers, and they were positive for crack cocaine, the court papers noted.
More cocaine, individually wrapped for distribution, was located in the dining room, while a plastic bag with multiple individual wrapped chunks of suspected crack cocaine was seized from his left pants pocket, a court affidavit said.
In the end, more than 5 ounces in suspected crack cocaine was seized from Watson, records show.
Ophardt outlined an elaborate criminal history for Watson that included multiple violations of probation and failures to appear for his 6 felony cases, records show.
The weight of the evidence is strong, according to Ophardt.
There were several people at 75 Sherman Street when the joint raid was conducted on Thursday. Burlington Police had identified the residence in September as “a location of interest,” court records show.
During the hearing for Willis, Doyle agreed to continue his case until next Friday to hear the detention motion filed by Ophardt.
Ophardt said the government would use the time to try to understand any connections between the two men. He said it appeared that Willis had no legitimate ties to Vermont.
Defense lawyer Robert Behrens said he would like the extra time to try to develop a release plan for Willis, who has been staying at the North Star Motel on Shelburne Road in Shelburne, records show.
Burlington Police and the DEA executed a search warrant Thursday at the North Star Motel for the room rented by Willis, who is known on the streets as “D-Nice.”
Investigators seized cash, a small quantity of a white rock consistent with crack cocaine, a scale and a cellphone, Burlington Police said. The phone rang during the search and the number displayed matched the phone number used to set up an earlier drug sale near 90 Pearl Street in Burlington in early September, a drug task force member wrote.
Police seized more than 2 ½ ounces of suspected crack cocaine off Willis, court records show.
During a police interview, Willis admitted to being a crack cocaine smoker and said he had been selling the drug for a year, the court affidavit said.
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Federal Court Action
Shame on the DEA and Federal Judge…that’s no way to welcome some of Vermont’s fall tourists…
In Vt they are valued customers. Don’t slap their wrists too hard to make that red and tell them to be good flatlanders.and welcome back if leaving to get more drugs.
“Deandre, Jamelle”
Somehow, I doubt that their skin will turn red
Runners from Michigan must be getting lessons from the gangs of Springfield and Hartford. Come to Vermont, sell your product and if you’re caught it is OK to re-offend over and over and over……
It’s a welcome start…so easy to control if the progressive left didn’t have law enforcement in VT/MA/CT/NY/NJ so cowed. Get the leftists out of controlling Vermont, and this, along with many other problems, facing the state, are easily solved, with common sense solutions.
Round up the usual suspects.
FYI these entrepreneurs would not be here unless the markets has demonstrated a demand for their wares. Somewhere in this little brave state are citizens who really don’t care about themselves and others… and are more than willing to have these people come in and continue to pollute the environment.
Good lord, what a cesspool our state has become. Addicts everywhere and the frequent visits by the dealers to supply their drug of choice. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to learn that Mexican cartel members have set up processing houses in our state. Crazy? Sorry to say it is not. New Hampshire had them in a wonderful rural northern part of their state. We are talking volume illegal drug production. But dealers and addicts aren’t everywhere in Vermont, are they? Yes, they are, you just don’t recognize them. Those of us trained in drug detection see them on the streets of some of our smallest communities. They are everywhere. At our convenience stores, our gas stations, our grocery stores. It is sad we have to resort to giving cases to the feds because our state justice system is a revolving door. Shameful.
2.5 ounces of crack is a lot . . . not your average street dealer amount. Trafficking for sure. Can there be safe smoking sites in the future plans?