Burlington, Vermont – Raul Velez, a 55-year-old resident of Burlington, Vermont, has been sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino on January 7, 2025. Velez had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Court records reveal that in March 2024, Velez orchestrated an attempt to acquire over 1,000 grams of cocaine through the U.S. Mail. The package intended for Velez at a hotel in Shelburne, Vermont was intercepted by law enforcement officials. Authorities then conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel on March 7, 2024; however, it did not contain any cocaine. After receiving the package from his hotel room in Shelburne, Velez planned to distribute what he believed was approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest praised the joint investigative efforts undertaken by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Shelburne Police Department.
The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Masterson and Zachary Stendig. Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon represented Velez in this case.