Springfield, Massachusetts and Williamstown, Vermont Men Charged with Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Hussein Iman, age 20, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Joseph Cadorette, II, age 37, of Williamstown, Vermont, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base. Cadorette is scheduled to have his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont at 3:30 p.m. Iman’s initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts remains pending.

According to court records, Iman, who also goes by “Q,” oversaw a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl and cocaine base in Vermont from March 2024 to July 2024. Individuals from the organization sold narcotics to undercover agents on multiple occasions. During one interaction, Iman boasted to an undercover agent about the potency of his raw fentanyl, conveying that it caused individuals to instantly overdose and that Narcan did not reverse the overdoses. The organization’s drug distribution locations included Cadorette’s fourteen-acre property on Pleasant Street in Williamstown, Vermont. There, undercover agents purchased thousands of dollars of fentanyl from individuals in a camper on the property and observed a homemade shooting range.

On July 24, 2024, law enforcement executed search and arrest warrants at Cadorette’s properties in Williamstown, Vermont and Iman’s residence in Springfield, Massachusetts. Among the items law enforcement recovered were multiple guns and suspected narcotics.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Iman and Cadorette are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Each defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the present charges. The actual sentences would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Springfield (Massachusetts) Police Department, Hampden County (Massachusetts) Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cate and Colin Owyang. Iman is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Cadorette is represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq.