The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Lawrence Jackson, aka “Boo-Bee," 50, of Rutland, Vermont was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 29, 2021. The indictment alleges that Jackson engaged in drug trafficking and unlawfully possessed a Taurus The Judge.410/.45 caliber revolver. Jackson is currently detained on related state charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Jan. 25, 2022. The government has moved for Jackson’s continued detention pending trial.
According to court records, Jackson was arrested on Nov. 23, 2021 while in possession of approximately 430 grams of powder cocaine and 33 grams of cocaine base. A Taurus The Judge.410/45 caliber revolver was seized during a law enforcement search of Jackson’s Rutland residence. The Judge revolver was located in a bedroom identified by witnesses as belonging to Jackson. At the time it was seized, the revolver was loaded with both.45-Long Colt bullets and.410 shotshells. Jackson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his extensive criminal history.
In its detention motion, the government asserted that Jackson has recently been the perpetrator of significant violence in the Rutland community. Witnesses have reported that Jackson has “pistol-whipped" multiple people with The Judge revolver and held a woman at gunpoint. Witnesses have reported that Jackson has raped and sexually assaulted multiple women in the Rutland area. In addition, Jackson is being investigated for using drugs to coerce women to perform commercial sex acts and for his involvement in the facilitation of prostitution.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Jackson remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Due to his criminal history, Jackson faces a mandatory 15 years of imprisonment if convicted on the firearm violation. Jackson faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment if convicted on the drug trafficking allegations.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The Rutland Police Department requests that anyone with information regarding Jackson’s criminal activities, including any involvement in coercing women to perform commercial sex acts, to please contact either Detective Corporal Adam Lucia or Detective Tyler Billings. Rutland detectives can be reached at (802) 773-1816.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Jackson is represented by the Federal Public Defender.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime https://www.justice.gov/psn
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
