United States Drug Enforcement Administration

RUTLAND, Vt. - Michael J. Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated Chief Judge Christina Reiss, of the United States District Court, recently sentenced Eric (a.k.a. “Big E”), 45, and Andrew (a.k.a. “Dreads”), 25, both of Rutland. These two sentencing’s were the last two sentencing of a total of seven defendants convicted of selling heroin and crack cocaine and who were operating out of various residences on Park Avenue in Rutland, Vermont.

In the most recent sentencing, Judge Reiss sentenced Eric Dixon to 87 months imprisonment to be followed by six years of supervised release, and Andrew Harris to 60 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Judge Reiss previously sentenced the following five: (1) Terrence (a.k.a.
“Stucky”), 31, of Rutland, Vermont to 87 months imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine to be followed by four years supervised release; (2) Joshua (a.k.a. “Face”), 38, of Rutland, Vermont to 87 months imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm while unlawfully using controlled substances, to be followed by five years of supervised release; (3) Ernest Murray, 51, of Rutland to five years imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine to be followed by four years of supervised release; (4) Sara Muzzy, 28, of Rutland, to eight months imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin to be followed by three years supervised release; (5) Kimberly MacJarrett, 23, of Rutland, to 12 months for conspiring to distribute heroin, to be followed by three years supervised release.

In these various sentencings, Judge Reiss found that organizers of this conspiracy, including Dixon, Chenault, Murray, and Minix, were “predatory” in that they used addicts, particularly young woman, such as Muzzy and MacJarrett, to take most of the risk by distributing and transporting the drugs, including by body packing them. Judge Reiss stated that heroin is “tearing the fabric” of communities apart and there needs to be “serious consequences” to distributing these drugs. The government stated in its sentencing memoranda that “heroin and other drugs are wreaking havoc in Rutland and many other Vermont communities” and “a strong message from the Court needs to be continually sent to narcotic dealers that spreading their poison in the community will result in a lengthy jail sentence.”

This case was jointly investigated by the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.