June 23, 2008
FAIRFAX MAN SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN PRISON FOR TRANSPORTING MARIJUANA AND WITNESS TAMPERING
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kurt Fasser, 43, of Fairfax, Vermont was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III to 12 months in prison for his involvement in a Arizona-to-Vermont marijuana smuggling ring and witness tampering. Earlier this year, Fasser had pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to distribute marijuana and witness tampering charges. Judge William K. Sessions III also sentenced Fasser to two years of supervised release following his prison sentence and 200 hours of community service.
According to court records, in the fall of 2003, and again in early winter of 2004, Fasser drove his vehicle to Arizona to pick up a 100 pound load of marijuana for codefendant Frederic Combs. The marijuana was then distributed by Combs in Vermont.
As to the witness tampering charge, court records indicate that Fasser delivered messages from Combs to a federal witness offering the witness a $100,000 bribe to not disclose Combs' drug activities to the federal law enforcement authorities.
Under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, Fasser faced a sentence of 30-37 months. The United States argued that a sentence within the this range was warranted based on the seriousness of the offense, and the defendant's participation in a witness bribery scheme, which has a highly detrimental impact on our criminal justice system. Judge Sessions, citing the defendant's rehabilitation and low risk of recidivism, sentenced below the range recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines. Combs' sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2008 in Burlington.
This matter was investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Fasser is represented by Michael Straub, Esq. of Burlington and Combs is represented by Maryanne Kampmann, Esq. of Burlington.
