New York Man Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Dealing Heroin And Cocaine Base

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on January 26, 2017, Shatu H. Gadson, 44, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after his guilty plea to charges that he distributed heroin and cocaine base. U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha also ordered that Gadson serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

According to court records, in February and March of 2016, law enforcement in Burlington used an informant to make several purchases of cocaine base and heroin from Gadson. On April 1, 2016, agents arrested Gadson in New York City and he was brought to Vermont to face federal drug charges.

For his crimes, Gadson faced a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison. The United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, recommended that Gadson receive a prison term between 21-27 months. Gadson and the government entered into a plea agreement in which the parties agreed that a 30-month prison sentence was appropriate. In determining that a sentence above the applicable Guideline range was correct, Judge Murtha considered, among other factors, Gadson’s serious criminal history which included felony convictions for drug dealing, assault, and manslaughter.

United States Attorney Eric Miller commended the efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Vermont State Police, and the U.S. Marshals for their coordinated work 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. According to United States Attorney Miller, the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners will continue to disrupt the flow of heroin into Vermont and hold drug dealers accountable for their serious crimes against the community.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Gadson is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.