BURLINGTON – Three people linked to a major drug trafficking turf-war homicide in Franklin County more than 3 years ago have been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Burlington.

Eric A. Raymond, 34, of Swanton, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges.

Senior Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford imposed three concurrent 10-year prison sentences for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, conspiracy to commit a robbery and possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance.

The judge also tagged on two additional years to Raymond for a charge of using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime in which the gun was discharged.

Crawford told Raymond he would be on federal supervised release for three years after he is discharged from prison. He was also assessed $400 in court costs.

Jesse L. Sweet, 28, of Swanton, was sentenced to 6 years in prison, followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.

Sweet was the first defendant to fold in the case by pleading guilty in February 2023 to a charge of conspiracy to commit a robbery, possessing a firearm after a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence and possessing a firearm while knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance. The judge did agree to dismiss the third charge at sentencing.

Misti-Lyn Morin, 44, of Swanton was placed on federal probation for five years for her convictions, including maintaining a residence at 361 River Street in Swanton for the purpose of distributing and using crack cocaine.

She also admitted to possessing three firearms on July 4, 2021, June 19, 2020 and Feb. 2, 2022, the day of the homicide when she knew she was an unlawful user of and addicted to controlled substances. She was assessed $500 in court costs.

All three sentencings happened during separate hearings last week.

Still to be sentenced is the leader of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Dominique Troupe, 37, of Colchester, who was convicted in May 2024 by a federal court jury in Rutland on four felony charges. He is known by the street names “Whop” and “Juice.”

The charges included conspiring with others to distribute crack cocaine between July 2021 and at least Feb. 2, 2022 – the day of the fatal shooting in Swanton. The trial lasted 6 days in federal court, and the jury deliberated only three hours before convicting Troupe on all counts.

Troupe never took the witness stand and opted not to have any witnesses testify on his behalf. No sentencing date has been set.

Troupe was a primary source of supply for crack cocaine being sold at 361 North River Street, Michael Drescher, the Acting U.S. Attorney, has said in court papers.

Raymond estimated that in the six months before the homicide, Troupe was supplying about 3 ounces of crack three times every two weeks, Drescher said.

Morin and Raymond were primary re-distributors for Troupe’s crack cocaine, records show.

Elijah Oliver, 22, of Haverhill, Mass., was found dead from two gunshots inside the residence at 45 First St. in Swanton about 4:35 a.m. Feb. 2, 2022, state police said.

At least nine were in the single-family residence of Elvin Sweet and Crystal Ahl at the time of the fatal shooting. Raymond was among those to flee before Swanton Police and the U.S. Border Patrol could arrive, court records indicate.

Raymond has admitted he fired one of the shots during the homicide, while the unidentified companion of Troupe fired the other shot, records show. Two different caliber handguns shot Oliver, investigators have said.

Oliver had moved into the First Street residence and began operating a drug business that was beginning to have a serious impact on the illegal profits of Troupe, Raymond, Morin and Sweet, records show.

Oliver would sell large pieces of crack for the same price Raymond and Morin had been peddling, records show. Raymond and Morin began using more crack from Troupe and accumulated more debt, Drescher said.

Raymond discussed a plan with Troupe, and eventually, the idea was for Sweet, another local drug dealer, to unplug the security surveillance cameras at Oliver’s home to allow Raymond and an unidentified friend of Troupe’s to steal drugs and money, records show.

Troupe, Raymond, Sweet and the unidentified individual (UI) man executed the plan during the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 2022, records show. Troupe drove Raymond and the UI – both wearing masks — to 45 First Street, where they went upstairs and each fired their handguns, records show.

Stories vary from inside the house. The prosecution said Oliver was asleep during the shooting. Raymond’s lawyer maintained he woke up and rushed past Raymond. Raymond shot his gun into the air as Oliver ran by, defense lawyer Robert Behrens wrote.

“Mr. Oliver then ran into and tussled with the unnamed individual and was shot by the unnamed individual. As a result, Oliver died,” Behrens wrote.

Raymond had Oliver’s firearm when he fled and later threw it into the woods after he got out of Troupe’s vehicle, Drescher said.

Raymond continued walking toward his residence and was picked up by Sweet, records show. Raymond, Sweet, Sweet’s girlfriend and younger brother all returned to the house Raymond and Morin shared, court records show.

They woke Morin and told her what happened. Raymond then hid two firearms – an AR-15 style rifle and a .22 caliber pistol on the property and burned his clothing in the hopes law enforcement would not find them, records show.

Troupe has not publicly identified his accomplice in the shooting. The investigation is continuing by the Major Case Squad for Vermont State Police.

Raymond had three pending state charges when he was arrested on the federal charges, records show. He was supposed to be under a 24-hour curfew imposed by a state judge, but the courts never enforced it, records show.

The co-prosecutors, Drescher and Jason Turner, asked for a substantial prison term for Raymond in their sentencing memorandum.

“While the sentence cannot atone for the loss of Elijah Oliver’s life, it must serve as a deterrent both to Raymond himself and to the community at large from committing similar firearms crimes in relation to drug trafficking,” they wrote.

Raymond’s defense lawyer, Behrens, said his client began using crack and cocaine at age 17 and developed a severe drug habit over the next 13 years.

Raymond was using 20 bags of heroin a day until his arrest, Behrens said in his sentencing memo.

Behrens noted that Raymond has made giant strides in prison, including getting his General Equivalency Diploma, being involved in various recovery groups.

Vermont State Police arrested Troupe as he drove off a Lake Champlain ferryboat in Grand Isle in September 2022 and was found with a half-pound of crack cocaine in a safe in the trunk of his car, records show.

Troupe also has a history of violence, officials have said. He had been directed to remain at home after he was charged with a brutal bloody assault on a former girlfriend in Williston on April 1, 2022. The woman had a couple of teeth knocked out and Troupe was armed with a handgun when he broke into her residence at Finney Crossing, Williston Police reported.

Besides convicting Troupe on all four counts, the jurors made a factual finding that a firearm was discharged during a drug trafficking offense.

The jurors also said they found Troupe was part of a drug conspiracy that involved more than 500 grams of cocaine (more than 17 ounces) – which will mean a possible enhanced penalty at sentencing.

The Vermont State Police, the Vermont Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives combined for the sweeping investigation.

Editor’s Note: To read about the conviction of Troupe, see Federal jury convicts Colchester man on all counts related to fatal drug deal in Swanton – Vermont Daily Chronicle