Michael P. Drescher Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Dominique Troupe, 39, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on February 13, 2026. United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered a four-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. Troupe was convicted by a jury on May 7, 2024, after a six-day trial for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense in which the firearm was discharged, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute.
The court found that by at least July 2021, Troupe was supplying crack cocaine to residents in Swanton, Vermont. Evidence showed he maintained an ongoing operation distributing multiple ounces each week through the second half of that year. In January 2022, when another dealer began selling from a residence at 45 First Street in Swanton—leading to reduced sales for Troupe—his associates Eric Raymond and Jesse Sweet proposed robbing the rival dealer.
"Troupe supplied a firearm to Eric Raymond to use during the crime and drove the men to and from the robbery," according to trial evidence. During an attempted armed robbery at that address on February 2, 2022, Elijah Oliver of Massachusetts was shot twice and killed. Afterward, Troupe left Vermont temporarily and told an associate to cancel his cell phone account but later returned and resumed drug distribution activities until his arrest on September 7, 2022. At that time he possessed nearly 189 grams of crack cocaine.
Eric Raymond and Jesse Sweet previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case; they received sentences of twelve years and six years respectively.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt stated: "I commend the collaborative investigatory efforts of Vermont State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Swanton Police Department."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner prosecuted this case along with recently retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher. Kevin Henry represented Dominique Troupe.
