Three New York City area men, who authorities said set up a temporary drug trafficking business in Addison County, along with a local resident, are behind bars following a joint state and federal investigation into the distribution of illegal drugs in the New Haven and Hinesburg area.

Kevin “Cuz” St. Hill, 40, of Brooklyn, N.Y. was charged with distribution of nearly an ounce of crack cocaine on July 29, while Damien Reyes, 32, of the Bronx, N.Y., was charged with possession of crack cocaine on Thursday with intent to distribute, records show.

Lavon Barrett, 40, of the Bronx, N.Y., and Vincent Poro, 63, of the town of Addison, are each facing a criminal complaint charging them with distribution of crack cocaine on Aug. 21 and July 14 respectively, federal court records show.

The Vermont Drug Task Force, in cooperation with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, conducted a series of raids on Thursday, including on Lime Kiln Road and River Road, officials said. One car also was impounded.

The investigation started in December 2025 and over the following months confidential informants made more than 20 controlled cocaine and crack cocaine purchases from various targets in the Addison County and Southern Chittenden County area, according to court records.

By May, St. Hill was running a drug distribution business from a residence in New Haven and was working with a group of federal targets from the investigation, court records show. The targets also had been selling from residences in Ferrisburgh and Hinesburg, a Vermont Drug Task Force member said in a court affidavit.

An informant initially reported St. Hill was reportedly selling crack cocaine and methamphetamine, court records maintain.

It was partly through work by Hinesburg Community Police that the reported primary dealer initially known only as “Cuz,” was actually St. Hill, court records show.

Hinesburg Police made a traffic stop on Pond Brook Road during the noon hour on May 5 for a minor violation and the driver turned out to be St. Hill, records show. He was given a warning.

A comparison of the video of the traffic stop by Hinesburg Officer Armin Nukic with surveillance video of “Cuz” from the drug investigation matched them as the same person, records show.

A week later St. Hill reportedly sold 3.6 grams of crack cocaine at a residence in Hinesburg, court records maintain. He also was seen entering a vehicle that law enforcement recognized as having been used during a previous controlled buy with a suspected associate of St. Hill, the task force detective said.

St. Hill made another sale of 3.6 grams of crack cocaine for $150 to an informant at a Ferrisburgh residence on July 14 and a man, later identified as Poro, was at the home and facilitated the physical drug transaction by opening the door, court records show. He later handed a plastic bag to the informant, court records show.

Another sale for an ounce of crack cocaine was set up with St. Hill on July 28 with the deal expected to happen the following day, court records show. It was completed for $1,000, records note.

On Aug. 21, an informant obtained cocaine in a sale orchestrated by St. Hill, who was operating out of a camper at 2903 Lime Kiln Road in New Haven, the task force detective wrote.

An unidentified heavily tattooed man, later identified as Barrett helped facilitate that sale, court records show.

A federal search warrant was obtained for the camper and executed on Thursday with help from Vermont State Police SWAT, which deployed gas into the vehicle, records show.

Reyes came crawling out of the camper and he had a bulge in his back pocket, state police said. A plastic bag filled with smaller baggies of a white substance was seized from his pants, police said. Nearly an ounce was seized and tested positive for crack cocaine, court records show.

Barrett also was emerged from the “Homestead Rancher” camper and law enforcement confirmed he was the man also involved in the Aug. 21 drug sale, the court affidavit noted.

Poro also was located at the scene when he came out of a small Flagstaff camper adjacent to the larger camper, a drug task force detective said. Poro was known for his involvement in the July 14 drug sale, records note.

Visiting Federal Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller from the Virgin Islands ordered St. Hill held without bail when he appeared in U.S. District Court on Thursday afternoon. She said, after hearing arguments, his release would pose a danger to the community or the public.

Among other things, Miller ruled the weight of the evidence was strong, St. Hill had a prior criminal record, and if convicted he would face a lengthy sentence. Miller also noted St. Hill lacks stable employment, was on probation at the time of the arrest and that he had participated in criminal activity while on probation, parole or supervision in the past. She said he also has past violations of probation or parole.

The other three defendants had their court hearings spread over Friday afternoon and each also was detained.

Defense lawyer Richard Bothfeld asked for time to try to set up a release plan for Poro that would include rehabilitation and a proper residence. He said once that is set up, they would petition the court to reopen the hearing for the local man.

Miller set a probable cause hearing for Poro on Sept. 25 unless he gets indicted in the interim.

Miller agreed to continue the detention hearing for Reyes until Monday at 1 p.m. to allow the Pre-Trial Services Office to interview him and file a report.

Barrett’s detention hearing was delayed until next week, tentatively Wednesday afternoon.