New Jersey Man Sentenced To 36 Months In Federal Prison For Heroin Dealing

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on May 23, 2016, Jonathan Nisbett, 24, of Newark, New Jersey was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after his guilty plea to charges that he distributed heroin. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Nisbett serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court records, in 2015, Nisbett regularly traveled from the New Jersey area to Chittenden County, Vermont with heroin to sell. Nisbett and his associates would distribute the heroin and bring the proceeds back to New Jersey. After conducting a series of controlled purchases from him, on August 11, 2015 agents from the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force and the Vermont State Police arrested Nisbett after he exited a train from New York City in Essex Junction, Vermont. From Nisbett’s luggage, agents seized approximately 2,250 individual use bags of heroin.

For his crime, Nisbett faced a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison. The United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, recommended that Nisbett receive a prison term between 37 and 46 months. The United States and the defense agreed that a 36-month sentence was appropriate.

In accepting the parties’ agreed-upon sentence, Judge Reiss considered the severity of the offense and the negative impact of heroin on the Vermont community.

United States Attorney Eric Miller commended the efforts of Vermont State Police, the VDTF, the Vergennes Police Department, the South Burlington Police Department, and the Burlington Police Department for their coordinated efforts in this investigation. United States Attorney Miller noted that this case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Vermont Heroin Initiative, which is a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat heroin distribution in Vermont. United States Attorney Miller applauded the efforts of the agencies involved in the Heroin Initiative.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Nisbett is represented by David McColgin of the Federal Public Defender’s Office.