RUTLAND, Vt. — A Vermont man was sentenced May 29 to five years in prison following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) drug trafficking investigation.
Michael Burton, 48, of Shelburne, received a term of 60 months of imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Burton previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the investigation, on April 3, 2023, Burton was arrested by HSI special agents in South Burlington following a lengthy investigation for drug trafficking. At the time of his arrest, Burton possessed a black backpack that contained more than 100 grams of cocaine base, approximately 200 fentanyl pills, a digital scale and additional drug paraphernalia used for the distribution of controlled substances. Later that day, HSI special agents executed a federal search and seizure warrant at Burton's residence in Shelburne. Inside Burton's room, investigators found more than 30 grams of cocaine base, ammunition, magazines and three firearms — specifically, a Ruger EC9S 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol; a HS Produkt XD9 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol; and a Smith & Wesson M&P9 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol.
This case was led by HSI New England’s Burlington Resident Agent in Charge office with investigative support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.