Getting Away with Murder
The recent roundup of alleged drug dealers in Central Vermont was the supposed pushback to drug related violence – particularly the fatal shooting of Carlos Vasquez in an apartment near the Rutland Middle School. According to one account Ramel Ramos and Vasquez intended to put rival drug dealer Javon Shelton out of business. Shelton was wounded in the incident.
As a reaction, the legislature passed new laws lowering the amount of drugs to qualify for trafficking, the Governor touted the potential 30-year sentences, and U.S. Sen. Leahy convened a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee in Rutland. As to Shelton and Ramos, Shelton was treated for his wound at the Rutland Hospital and skipped town. Rutland County State’s Attorney James Mongeon couldn’t figure out what to charge Ramos with, so he was released after serving a couple of months for marijuana possession. He’s now left the state. The plan seems to be to hope that the feds will pick up the case and find the missing defendants, but Vermont’s U.S. Attorney Tom Anderson is making no promises. With this kind of prosecutorial incompetence, Gov. Douglas is going to have to wait a long time to see those 30-year sentences. “Stay tuned,” says Rutland Det. Raymond LaMoria. Yeah, right.