June 23, 2008

CANADIAN MAN SENTENCED FOR IMPORTING 30 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that
Michael Dunnigan, 53, of Frelighsburg, Quebec, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III to one year probation for importing thirty pounds of marijuana from Canada to Vermont.

According to court records, on October 8, 2007 Dunnigan arrived at the Pinnacle port of entry in Richford, Vermont coming from Frelighsburg, Quebec driving a Quebec registered Chevrolet Sliverado 1500 pickup truck. Dunnigan told the Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") Officer that he was en route to Richford to do some shopping.

A CBP Officer then noticed that the truck's tailgate was not fitting properly on the back of the truck's bed and observed several wrapped bundles of suspected contraband through holes in the metal tailgate. A further inspection revealed a total of approximately 30 pounds of marijuana.

Under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, Dunnigan faced a sentence of 6-12 months imprisonment. Judge Sessions, citing the defendant's rehabilitation and low risk of recidivism, sentenced below this range.

This matter was investigated jointly by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection both under the Department of Homeland Security.
The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Dunnigan is represented by Robert Fellrath, Esq. of the Federal Public Defender's Office in Burlington..