Source: United States Department of Justice News
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Ramzi Kori, 21, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced today to serve three years in prison after his convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Kori to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration. Kori may face additional incarceration for a probation violation that is pending in Saratoga County, New York.
According to court records, on July 6, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Land Rover, seeking to arrest the registered owner of the vehicle who had an outstanding federal arrest warrant. Kori was determined to be the sole occupant of the vehicle. A Burlington Police K-9 alerted to the vehicle, resulting in a search of the Land Rover. In bags located on the front passenger seat, agents found 6,850 bags of fentanyl-laced heroin, a loaded 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun, and $2,500 cash. An examination of Kori’s finances determined that at the time of his arrest, Kori had over $50,000 in various financial accounts. Government witnesses reported that Kori had been dealing heroin in the Burlington area since 2020.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Burlington Police Department, as well as the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt handled the prosecution. Kori was represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn