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Press Release

Floridian Charged With Narcotics Possession

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Tyrone Dixon, 34, of Florida, appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington following his arrest for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.  U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Dixon on conditions pending his next court hearing.

According to court records, in the early morning of January 5, a Customs and Border Protection Officer stationed at the Derby Line Port of Entry noticed a vehicle making an illegal U-turn in between the ports of entry for the United States and Canada.  The car had traveled north towards the port of exit in the United States but turned back before attempting entry into Canada.  After Customs and Border Protection Officers inspected the vehicle and conducted preliminary interviews with driver Tyrone Dixon and passenger Emily Lasell of Vermont, Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations arrived on the scene to assist with the investigation.  While Special Agents from Homeland Security interviewed the driver and the passenger, Customs and Border Protection Officers conducted a thorough search of the vehicle.  From the vehicle, a Customs and Border Protection Officer recovered a green and black bag containing approximately five syringes that appeared to have been used, approximately twenty-five used or torn white packages consistent with the packaging commonly seen in the heroin trade, and a hollowed-out loaf of bread concealing approximately 84 grams of a substance that was field tested with presumptively positive results for crack cocaine.  From inside the passenger’s bra, a Customs and Border Protection Officer recovered two small packages commonly known as “tickets” of heroin.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge against Dixon is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Dixon faces up to twenty years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000.  The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

Dixon is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.  The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach.

Updated June 22, 2015