Burlington Standard

Two men from Massachusetts and Vermont were arrested in late July for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base from March 2024 to July 2024. The announcement of the arrests came from a July 25 news release from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Hussein Iman, 20, of Springfield, Mass., and Joseph Cadorette II, age 27, of Williamstown, Vt., are charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base. According to a news release from the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Iman's initial appearance is pending in the US District Court of Massachusetts, while Cadorette's initial appearance in the US District Court for the District of Vermont was on July 25.

Court records reveal that Iman, known as "Q," oversaw a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl and cocaine base in Vermont from March 2024 to July 2024. According to HSI's July 25 news release, Cadorette’s 14-acre property on Pleasant St. in Williamstown was one of the organization’s drug distribution locations.

Both men could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Undercover HSI agents bought narcotics multiple times from individuals involved in the organization. Iman told one HSI agent about the potency of his raw fentanyl, saying individuals instantly overdose and Narcan did not reverse the overdose. At Cadorette’s property, HSI agents purchased thousands of dollars worth of fentanyl in a camper on the property. They also observed a homemade shooting range.

Law enforcement personnel executed search and arrest warrants at Cadorette’s Williamstown properties and Iman’s property in Springfield, Mass., on July 24. Law enforcement retrieved multiple guns and suspected narcotics as a result of the search.

Assistant US Attorneys Nicole Cate and Colin Owyang are prosecuting this case. According to the DOJ news release, Iman is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender, while Cadorette is represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq.

Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are more than 10,000 employees at HSI who work in 235 offices across the US and 93 overseas locations. HSI was created in 2010 when the Offices of Investigations, Intelligence, and International Affairs within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were combined into a new directorate known as Homeland Security Investigations.