Floridian Man Sentenced To Jail For 18 Months For Possession Of Crack Cocaine

Eric S. Miller, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, stated that Tyrone Dixon, 35, of St. Augustine, Florida, was sentenced Tuesday in United States District Court in Rutland by U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision, for possession with intent to distribute approximately 50 grams of crack cocaine.

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 Canada but turned back before attempting entry into Canada. Customs and Border Protection Officers worked with Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations to inspect the vehicle and conduct interviews with driver Tyrone Dixon and passenger Emily Lasell of Vermont. From the vehicle, a Customs and Border Protection Officer recovered a hollowed-out loaf of bread concealing approximately 50 grams of crack cocaine, some of which was already packaged for distribution, re-wrapped inside a plastic bread bag, and concealed inside a bag of otherwise innocuous groceries. A Customs and Border Protections Officer also recovered five syringes that appeared to have been used and approximately twenty-five used or torn white packages consistent with the packaging commonly seen in the heroin trade. From inside the passenger’s bra, a Customs and Border Protection Officer recovered two small packages commonly known as “tickets” of heroin.

On January 15, 2015, Dixon was indicted by a federal grand jury on a one-count indictment charging him with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Dixon pleaded guilty to the sole count in the indictment on June 2, 2015, pursuant to a plea agreement.

The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. The United States Attorney commends those agencies for their work and cooperation. Dixon was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth Quinn. The prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach.