Two Men Arrested in Rutland for Carrying Firearms in Relation to Drug Trafficking
RUTLAND, Vt. - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Jose Luis Maldonado, Jr., 31, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Edgar Correa, 34, of Springfield, Massachusetts, were arrested on Wednesday evening and charged today by criminal complaint. Both men were charged with possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl, and carrying and using firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Both men are scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle tomorrow afternoon.
According to court records, law enforcement conducting surveillance on Robbins Street in Rutland, Vermont noticed a man, later identified as Maldonado, carrying a black shotgun with a pistol grip, walking with another man, later identified as Correa, toward a white Honda Civic. The two men put bags in the trunk of the Honda Civic and drove away. Rutland Police located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, officers learned there were four firearms in the vehicle, including the black shotgun in the trunk, a .380 caliber pistol beneath Correa’s seat, a .38 Special revolver between Correa’s seat and the center console, and a .22 caliber pistol between Maldonado’s seat and the center console. A search of the vehicle revealed two bags, containing approximately 24 grams of cocaine base, approximately 7 grams of cocaine, and over 550 bags of fentanyl. When Correa was searched incident to arrest, he was found in possession of a digital scale and a firearm magazine loaded with .380 caliber ammunition.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that both Maldonado and Correa are presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the coordinated investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Rutland Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Maldonado is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq. Correa is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
