Description: Rutland, Vermont criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with unlawfully maintaining his Londonderry residence for drug distribution from September 2016 through July 2017.

The charge against Timothy ("T.J.") Slade,age 30, related to an investigation initiated by the Vermont State Police after Keith Johnson died following a heroin overdose in Londonderry in July 2017. The Court accepted the government’s time served recommendation, which was based in part on the age of the offense, the death of a key witness, and Slade’s own drug addiction and recovery in the time since the tragic overdose. According to court records, while there was some conflicting evidence, the government alleged that Slade likely sold heroin to Johnson the evening before his death. The government emphasized that the defendant’s good conduct since July 2017 does not remedy the horrific consequences of opiate trafficking on Vermont communities.

U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police investigators on this case and stated, “Overdose deaths highlight the risks and damage associated with opiate use and distribution, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to take the prosecution of overdose cases seriously.”

This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Slade is represented by Michael Desautels, Esq. of the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Burlington.

21:856(a)(1).F NARCOTICS - SELL, DISTRIBUTE, DISPENSE - knowingly used and maintained a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using controlled substances
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Outcome: Imprisonment for a term of time served, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release with conditions

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