Michael P. Drescher Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Trayvon Kisling, a 21-year-old formerly from Staten Island, New York, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on February 2, 2026. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Kisling to serve four years of supervised release after completing his prison term. Kisling had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute significant amounts of cocaine base and fentanyl, as well as possessing firearms in connection with drug trafficking.
Court documents show that between February and March 2023, Kisling worked with others to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl in Vermont. Authorities found large quantities of drugs during their investigation. On February 25, 2023, police searched an apartment in Winooski where Kisling had been staying and seized over 134 grams of packaged fentanyl, about 74 grams of bulk fentanyl, nearly 180 grams of crack cocaine, and almost 400 grams of powder cocaine. On March 15, during a traffic stop in Brandon, police found approximately 450 bags of fentanyl and over 40 grams of cocaine base in Kisling’s car. Two firearms were also recovered from the vehicle during this incident.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt recognized the efforts made by several agencies involved in the investigation: "the FBI, the Vermont State Police, the Rutland City Police Department, the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winooski Vermont Police Department, Winooski Fire Department and the St. Michaels Fire Department."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller prosecuted the case while Richard C. Bothfeld represented Kisling.
