United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Kevin L. Lane, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Tristram J. Coffin, the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, announced that Kristen Franco, 55, of Plant City, Florida, was sentenced on Monday, September 24, 2012, to 27 months in jail for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in Vermont and elsewhere. She was also sentenced to a three year term of supervised release to be served at the conclusion of her jail term.

According to Court records, Franco sent pills containing oxycodone by Federal Express from Florida to a customer in Vermont between April of 2010 to July of 2011. Franco obtained these pills from at least two different Florida doctors. Although the pills were prescribed to her, she sold many of the pills. The Vermont customer paid her by sending Western Union wire transfers. Prior to distributing pills in the mail, she also sold prescription pills hand-to-hand in Florida.

Franco was indicted by a federal grand jury in Vermont on October 13, 2011. She was arrested on October 20, 2011 in the Middle District of Florida. Franco was arraigned in Vermont on January 5, 2012. On March 12, 2012, she pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States Attorney, Tristram J. Coffin commends that agency for its work.