St. Johnsbury, Vermont Man Arrested on Drug Distribution Charges

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office stated that Dakota McAllister, 25, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base in May and June 2024. McAllister was arrested on the complaint during the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Lyndon, Vermont, where McAllister had been staying and from where he had been distributing drugs. McAllister's initial appearance is scheduled for today at 3:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in Burlington.

According to court records, in May and June 2024, over three separate transactions, McAllister twice distributed fentanyl and once cocaine base to a confidential informant, who met McAllister at the Lyndon residence to purchase the drugs. On June 27, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Lyndon residence. In searching the Lyndon residence, law enforcement found and arrested McAllister. Among other items, law enforcement seized from the Lyndon residence multiple firearms, including multiple handguns, an assault-style pistol, and an assault rifle, as well as approximately 38 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 55 grams of suspected cocaine.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that McAllister is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. McAllister faces up to 20 years' imprisonment if convicted of the current charges in the complaint. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts and hard work of Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Vermont Drug Task Force, Lyndonville Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. McAllister is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.