The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Antonio Vergara, 29, of Walden, VT, was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Vergara was arrested on October 26, 2022, and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on October 28, 2022. Vergara was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court records, police in Massachusetts attempted to stop Vergara as he was driving on Interstate 91. Vergara fled at speeds of over 120 miles per hour and was ultimately apprehended approximately 130 miles away, in Newbury, VT. Police discovered 5,500 bags of fentanyl in the car Vergara was driving, and later discovered an additional 5,000 bags of fentanyl in the median near the location where Vergara was stopped. In total, the fentanyl seized by law enforcement weighed more than 200 grams.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police.
Major Dan Trudeau of the Vermont State Police stated, “This case is a great example of how State, Federal, and Local law enforcement is working together to combat the influx of dangerous drugs, and associated violence, from coming into Vermont. We will continue to deploy our resources to intercept and mitigate drug trafficking organizations from continuing to prey on Vermonters.”
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and Vergara is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charged offense, Vergara faces up to 40 years of imprisonment, with a five-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and a mandatory three years of supervised release.
The Assistant United States Attorney handling the prosecution is Nate Burris. Vergara is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender and Evan Barquist, Esq.