Queens, New York Man Appears on Federal Drug Charge

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced that Jamonty Brister, 29, of Queens, New York, appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on a complaint charging him with a federal drug offense. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered that Brister be detained without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled at this time.

According to the criminal complaint filed on July 18, 2024, in June 2024, Burlington Police Department drug investigators and DEA Task Force officers made three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brister utilizing a confidential source. Earlier this week, officers obtained a state court warrant to search the Burlington residence where Brister had been living. They executed the warrant on the morning of July 17 and arrested Brister, who was alone in a locked bedroom. During the search of Brister's bedroom, officers recovered about 900 grams of cocaine base, about 130 grams of fentanyl, about $10,000 in cash, and a handgun. The complaint charges Brister with possessing the seized narcotics with intent to distribute.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the complaint are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Brister faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Brister is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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.