A teenager who was allegedly high on crack when he shot and killed another teen in the head in 2021 has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s office stated August 1.
Kahliq Richardson, 20, formerly of Rutland County, was sentenced July 31 in federal court in Burlington to 30 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of controlled substances. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered that Richardson serve three years of supervised release following his period of incarceration.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2021, Richardson was at the Quality Inn in Rutland when he shot 19-year-old Jonah Pandiani in the head. Jonah died instantly. The investigation of the homicide revealed that Richardson had a history of drug use and had been using crack cocaine in the hours before the shooting. The homicide and the investigation that followed resulted in the instant federal firearm charge, as well as state charges for voluntary manslaughter. The state charges are still pending.
In imposing the 30-month sentence, Judge Sessions “varied upward from the otherwise applicable advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines” in part to recognize the recklessness which led to the death of Jonah Pandiani, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
According to media coverage of Richardson’s state trial, Richardson told police Pandiani was his best friend. After using cocaine, they passed the gun back and forth when it accidentally discharged, killing Pandiani.
Also on July 31, a Springfield, MA man was sentenced in federal court for drug distribution in the Barre area.
Glendon Parrish-Cambell, 23, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III to a sentence of 42 months’ imprisonment and a 3-year term of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base and for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court records, during the months of March and April of 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine base at a residence in Washington, Vermont. Law enforcement identified Justin Llano, aka “TJ,” and Glendon Parrish-Cambell, aka “B,” as drug traffickers distributing fentanyl and cocaine base from the residence. A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for the residence, which was executed on May 13. During the search, law enforcement seized 14 firearms, 28 grams of cocaine base, and 400 bags of fentanyl.
Previously, as courts records show, on May 22, 2021, law enforcement found Parrish-Cambell in an apartment in Barre, with about 10,300 bags of heroin nearby and $2,428 on his person.