Duxbury Man Sentenced Under Federal Crack House Statute To Time Served and Three Years of Supervision

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Mark Russell (a.k.a. “Snake”), 61, of Duxbury, Vermont, to time-served for violating the federal “Crack House Statute.” This statute prohibits making a place, such as a residence, available for manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using any controlled substance (the statute is not limited to crack cocaine). Judge Sessions also sentenced Russell to a three-year period of intensive supervision by the United States Probation Office, which begins immediately.

Russell previously pled guilty to this offense and admitted to allowing his residence, located on Route 100 in Duxbury, to be used by others for selling, storing, and using controlled substances. Specifically, Russell admitted to allowing an out-of-state dealer to stay at his residence and sell crack cocaine there. In exchange, Russell received user-quantities of crack cocaine from the dealer.

Russell was arrested on April 26, 2018. He was released on June 18, 2018 and allowed to participate in a residential drug rehabilitation program. In sentencing Russell to time-served and accepting the parties’ recommendation, Judge Sessions noted that Russell has “responded very well to treatment.”

This statute imposes a maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release to begin after any term of imprisonment is served.

U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan stated that this case is part of a renewed commitment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to deter Vermont residents from assisting larger-scale out-of-state drug dealers by providing them with a local shelter or base camp for their drug trafficking operations in Vermont. Often, the individuals who house the out-of-state dealers are themselves addicts who, as here, receive payment in the form of drugs.

This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Perella. Russell is represented by Michael Desautels, Esq., of the Federal Public Defenders Office.