Michael P. Drescher Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Daniel McSwiggan, 52, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises. The sentencing took place on August 4, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss. McSwiggan had previously pleaded guilty to managing and controlling a residence used for manufacturing, storing, distributing, and using cocaine base.
Court records indicate that in late June and early July 2024, McSwiggan rented and lived at a residence in Rutland where he and others used and distributed cocaine base. He had been terminated from his job as a nurse at a local medical center in April 2024. Authorities said McSwiggan also possessed firearms at the residence. On June 24, 2024, he fired a rifle toward another suspected drug distributor who was fleeing the property. A search warrant executed at the location led law enforcement to recover two rifles—a Savage Model 10 .308 caliber and a Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber—along with 282 rounds of ammunition, cocaine base, and drug paraphernalia.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher stated: "I commend the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rutland Police Department, the Vermont State Police, and the Vermont Drug Task Force."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith prosecuted the case. Jordan Handy represented McSwiggan.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates federal, state, local law enforcement agencies with community groups to reduce violent crime and gun violence across neighborhoods. The Department of Justice enhanced its PSN strategy on May 26, 2021 to emphasize building trust within communities and supporting organizations focused on violence prevention while prioritizing strategic enforcement actions (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
