Vermont Man Charged With Unlawful Firearm Possession and Maintaining a Drug Premises After HSI, Partner Investigation

BURLINGTON, Vt. — A federal grand jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Daniel McSwiggan, 51, of Rutland, with drug and gun offenses. The two-count indictment alleges that, between late June and early July 2024, McSwiggan possessed two firearms as an unlawful drug user and made his residence available for drug use and distribution.

According to court records, in late June and early July, McSwiggan possessed two firearms, knowing that he was an unlawful user of cocaine base, and made his residence in Rutland available for use and distribution of cocaine base. Court records also allege that, in the early morning hours of June 24, McSwiggan shot a rifle at a suspected drug distributor outside of his residence. On July 2, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents executed a search warrant at McSwiggan’s residence and recovered a Savage Model 10 .308-caliber rifle, a Ruger 10/22 .22-caliber rifle, 282 rounds of ammunition, cocaine base and drug paraphernalia.

If convicted, McSwiggan faces maximum penalties of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the unlawful firearm possession and 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for making his residence available for drug use and distribution.

The charges in the indictment are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation was led by HSI New England’s Burlington office and Rutland Resident Agent in Charge office, the Rutland City Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Vermont State Police.