The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, charged Andersen Benoit, 39, of Danby, Vermont with three counts of distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base in July and September of 2019. Benoit is a citizen of Haiti and is also currently facing state drug trafficking charges in New York.
At his arraignment, Benoit pled not guilty to the charges. Upon the Government’s motion for detention, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Benoit detained pending trial.
The Indictment is an accusation only, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The penalties for each of the charges is up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a mandatory three years of supervised release. Any sentence will be formulated through consultation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and consideration of Benoit’s personal history and characteristics.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigation of the Vermont State Police Narcotics Investigative Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Benoit is represented by Rich Bothfeld, Esq.
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