ST. JOHNSBURY — A federal and state crackdown snared 16 people accused of involvement with drug trafficking in the Northeast Kingdom, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Thursday morning.
The month-long operation targeted Newport, St. Johnsbury and surrounding towns. Authorities said they seized about 700 bags of fentanyl and heroin, 100 grams of crack cocaine, two illegal guns and $4,000 in drug proceeds.
“This is the second sustained surge of resources we’ve deployed this year to areas outside of Chittenden County that are hardest hit by the drug crisis,” U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan said at a press conference in St. Johnsbury.
In April, Nolan said authorities conducted a three-day “surge” in Windham County that netted 16 suspects and 1,000 bags of heroin.
Federal, state, county and local law enforcement officers partnered with federal and state prosecutors in the effort. The charges include drug distribution, possession with intent to sell and maintaining drug-involved premises.
Eleven of the 16 accused people face federal charges, and the remaining five were arrested on non-drug-related state warrants and violations. Two people have been charged but not arrested, and several of the accused were engaged in trafficking together, Nolan said.
Nolan warned dealers and those who enable them that law enforcement agents will be relentless in their pursuit and prosecution.
“Those who traffic those drugs for profit have blood on their hands,” she said.
Nolan said dealers are wrong to believe they can go undetected in rural places like the Kingdom.
“To put it in drug-trafficking lingo, it is ‘hot’ everywhere in Vermont,” the prosecutor said, adding later that the region “will never go overlooked.”
Nolan expressed sympathy for people addicted to drugs and urged them to turn in their suppliers and seek treatment.
St. Johnsbury Police Chief Tim Page thanked other agencies for paying attention to the region and asked Gov. Phil Scott to “restore” the power of the statewide drug task force.
Page said that officials should stop saying that law enforcement can’t arrest their way out of the drug crisis, adding that there is a need to remove bad actors from communities.
Drug Enforcement Administration agent Kevin Black spoke of the need for work outside of law enforcement.
“We remain in the midst of an epidemic that will not end with law-enforcement action alone,” Black said. “Continued efforts in the areas of prevention, treatment and enforcement are what will be needed to stem the tide.”
Nolan said 110 Vermonters died from drug overdoses last year, including six people in the Kingdom.
The people charged in federal court are:
- Jen Thomspon, 39, of Newport
- Juliana Graves, 49, of Newport
- Elijah Wheeler-Watson, 23, of Clinton, Massachusetts
- Adis Djozo, 26, of Essex Junction
- Alicia Parenteau, 36, of Newport
- Chakeshia Watts, 40, of St. Johnsbury
- Jerry Watts, 62, of St. Johnsbury
- Randy Devoid, 50, of St. Johnsbury
- Shaquille Carter, 26, of New York City
- Christina Thompson, 42, of Lyndonville
- Morgan Cleveland, 39, of Newport
The people arrested on state warrants and violations are:
- Soloman Little, 26, of St. Johnsbury
- Christopher MacKay, 52, of St. Johnsbury
- Mark Houston, 30, of St. Johnsbury
- Michael Barry, 26, of St. Johnsbury
- Michelle Churchill, 34, of St. Johnsbury
Authorities said Carter is a fugitive and Cleveland is at large.
The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Department of Homeland Security; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Vermont Drug Task Force; the Vermont State Police; police from St. Johnsbury, Newport and Lyndonville; the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and state prosecutors from Caledonia and Orleans counties.
