Armed Cocaine Trafficker from Eden, Vermont Sentenced to 29 Months in Prison

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 5, 2024, Damien Peatman, 26, of Eden, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 29 months' imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Peatman previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to court records, Peatman distributed over two kilograms of cocaine from February 2021 to December 2022 from his family home in Eden, Vermont. Peatman kept a handgun as part of his operation that he got from a drug customer as payment for drugs. When police searched Peatman's residence, Peatman had a flag hung in his bedroom which read, "It's not a crack house, it's a crack home." Witnesses described the Peatman residence as "the main place to go in Eden" to purchase cocaine. Peatman even used cocaine as a way to pay contractors for work done on the house.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nate Burris, Nicole Cate and Colin Owyang. Peatman was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq.

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.