United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced the recent arrests of five men with ties to Philadelphia on drug related charges.  Ronald Harris, aka Rizz, was arrested January 17 following his indictment for a drug conspiracy spanning nearly two years. Rasheed Stokes-Johnson, aka Slay, Eric J. Weaver, and Shamir W. Elliott were arrested the same day following the search of an Essex Junction, Vermont residence believed to be used by the Harris drug distribution organization.  Shannon Studivant-Barnes was arrested the next day for his distributions on behalf of the network.  Harris was arraigned today before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle and was ordered detained pending trial.  The other four defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances before Magistrate Judge Doyle later today.

The indictment returned by the federal grand jury alleges that Harris and others conspired to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base between October 2021 and January 2023.  According to court records, law enforcement officers began investigating the drug trafficking organization in October of 2021. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted 17 controlled purchases of illegal drugs from members of the organization.  Affidavits filed in this matter allege that members of the organization bring narcotics from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to distribute in Chittenden County, Vermont. Following Harris’s arrest pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, a search of the vehicle he was driving when arrested yielded approximately $100,000 in cash.  On January 18, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an Essex Junction residence and seized approximately 13,500 bags of suspected fentanyl and approximately 1,300 grams of suspected cocaine base that had been thrown from the window of the apartment.  Stokes-Johnson, Weaver, and Elliott, who were in the area of the residence from which the drugs were thrown, were arrested.  Studivant-Barnes was arrested on January 18 for distributions of heroin and cocaine base in June 2022.

The charges against these defendants are accusations only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  If convicted, each defendant would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.  Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the governing sentencing statutes.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations.

“Our office will continue to prioritize investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking organizations peddling deadly substances within Vermont,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest.  “This case represents a significant effort by many of our great law enforcement partners in Chittenden County. Thank you to all of our law enforcement partners who work bravely and tirelessly to address the significant public safety issue created by illegal drug trafficking."

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia Cowles and John Boscia.  Ronald Harris is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.  Rasheed Stokes-Johnson is represented by Robert Katims, Esq.  Eric Weaver is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.  Shamir Elliott is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.  Shannon Studivant-Barnes is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.