BREAKING: Franklin County Drug Dealers Face Federal Charges
By Michael Donoghue | Vermont News First
BURLINGTON, VT — Two major drug dealers from Franklin County are now facing felony federal drug trafficking charges, according to newly unsealed court records.
John “Fluffy” Lapan, 41, of St. Albans, was charged in U.S. District Court Monday after a months-long investigation linked him to three controlled crack cocaine sales in February. A police raid on Feb. 20 at his South Main Street residence yielded 76 grams of suspected crack cocaine, five firearms, $1,520 in cash, and other evidence. He allegedly admitted to being a “middleman” in drug deals and falsifying gun purchase forms.
Despite objections from federal prosecutors, Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle released Lapan on conditions, including living with his mother in Franklin County.
Meanwhile, Jonathan J. Letourneau, 36, also of St. Albans, is facing a separate federal complaint for distributing crack cocaine in January. Police say Letourneau allowed out-of-state drug sources to operate from his Lake Street residence and was known to carry a handgun during deals. He remains in state custody on a wide range of charges, including fentanyl trafficking, eluding police, and violating court conditions.
Both cases stem from investigations led by the St. Albans City Police Street Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Vermont Drug Task Force and DMV Enforcement Division.
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