Rockylane Lewis, 36, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found guilty by a jury on July 15 following a six-day trial in United States District Court in Burlington of multiple drug and gun offenses involving juveniles. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Lewis was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine base (crack), fentanyl, and oxycodone; conspiring to use juveniles to distribute drugs; four counts of using juveniles on specific dates to distribute drugs; and conspiring to use or possess firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.
Prior to opening statements at trial, Lewis pled guilty to three counts of distributing cocaine base and fentanyl on specific dates in 2023. His co-defendant Takar Watson, 42, also from Springfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine. Both remain in custody pending post-trial proceedings.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lewis and his co-conspirators distributed oxycodone in Massachusetts before using proceeds from those sales to purchase drugs distributed in Vermont. Evidence showed that juveniles were taught by members of the conspiracy—including Lewis—to sell drugs on their behalf. Between December 2022 and June 2023, law enforcement conducted fourteen controlled purchases from Lewis or others associated with the group around Rutland. In eight instances during these operations, five juveniles aged between 15 and 17 sold controlled substances directly to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Social media messages presented during the trial documented communications between Lewis and these juveniles regarding distribution activities.
The investigation also revealed that members agreed to use or possess firearms related to their drug trafficking activities. On June 21, 2023—the day after Lewis’s arrest—a fifteen-year-old co-conspirator was detained carrying a nine-millimeter pistol along with approximately seven grams of cocaine base.
Based on the verdicts reached by the jury, Lewis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment with a potential maximum sentence up to life imprisonment. Watson’s plea agreement includes an agreed sentence—subject to court approval—of forty-eight months’ imprisonment; he faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years. Sentencing will be determined by reference both to federal guidelines and statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt said, “Lewis manipulated and armed children to peddle poisons for profit throughout Rutland. I am extremely proud of the law enforcement efforts…and grateful for the hard work…in obtaining these convictions.” Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming said, “Trafficking drugs in our community is bad enough but endangering…children for profit is simply egregious…HSI is working every day with our law enforcement partners…”
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont enforces federal criminal laws across Vermont while fostering partnerships among state, local, and federal agencies as well as community partners, according to its official website.