BURLINGTON, VT – The multi-year legal saga surrounding the murder of Benzel Hampton concluded today, with James Felix being the last of seven defendants to be sentenced. The United States Attorney’s Office confirmed that all individuals pleaded guilty to drug and firearm conspiracy charges.
Lesine Woodson relocated from Orlando, Florida, to Vermont in late 2018 to sell cocaine base alongside Hampton, also from Orlando. Court records reveal that their partnership disintegrated when Woodson declined to pay Hampton’s bail with drug sale profits, instigating a feud that culminated in Hampton’s murder.
Woodson had enlisted several individuals from Orlando, including her cousin Brandon Sanders, her boyfriend James Felix, and her friend Johnny Ford. Together, they sold cocaine base around Burlington from an apartment on Lafountain Street, which acted as their operations hub. Jennifer MacDonald and Devlin Koski also sold drugs for Woodson.
The feud escalated on April 16, 2019, when Hampton sent Ford a text declaring, “this is my city” and “checkmate.” Responding to the message, Felix and Ford acquired firearms and, with Sanders, waited for Hampton at 235 North Willard Street. A subsequent confrontation led to Hampton’s death, with Ford and Felix firing the fatal shots.
Woodson and Felix were detained following their medical treatment at UVM Medical Center. Firearms used in the crime were later found in South Burlington. Angelina Pearson and Sanders were arrested the next day in Enfield, Connecticut. Ford was also arrested in Enfield, where authorities discovered drugs and over $17,000 in cash.
United States District Judge Christina Reiss handed down the following sentences:
- Johnny Ford – 180 months
- James Felix – 138 months
- Lesine Woodson – 89 months
- Brandon Sanders – 49 months
- Angelina Pearson – Time Served
- Jennifer MacDonald – Time Served
- Devlin Koski – Time Served