U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest | U.S. Department of Justice
Burlington, Vermont – Raul Velez, a 55-year-old resident of Burlington, Vermont, has been sentenced to two years in prison for attempted drug trafficking. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino on January 7, 2025. Following his imprisonment, Velez will also serve a three-year term of supervised release.
Velez had previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. According to court documents, the incident dates back to March 2024 when Velez attempted to acquire over 1,000 grams of cocaine through the U.S. Mail system. The package was intended for delivery to Velez at a hotel in Shelburne, Vermont but was intercepted by law enforcement officers.
A controlled delivery of the parcel, which did not contain any actual cocaine, was executed by investigators on March 7, 2024. After receiving the package from his hotel room in Shelburne, Velez planned to distribute what he believed was approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest acknowledged the joint efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Shelburne Police Department in investigating this case.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Masterson and Zachary Stendig. Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon represented Velez.
