Talbert Hill, a 44-year-old resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl in Burlington, Vermont. The sentencing was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss on August 19, 2025. After serving his prison term, Hill will also face three years of supervised release.
Court records indicate that during the summer and fall of 2023, Hill collaborated with others to distribute drugs in the Burlington area. In September and October of that year, law enforcement carried out five controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hill and associates involved in the trafficking operation.
On November 3, 2023, authorities located Hill in Burlington. As they moved to arrest him, he attempted to flee and dropped items as he ran. Officers apprehended him and recovered about 1,000 baggies of fentanyl and between eight and twelve packages of crack cocaine along his flight path. A subsequent search of an apartment linked to Hill led law enforcement to discover approximately 16,000 baggies of fentanyl and additional quantities of crack cocaine in his bedroom. Testimony at the sentencing hearing noted this as one of the largest drug seizures made by the Burlington Police Department at that time.
In total, Hill was held responsible for possessing with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of fentanyl along with a quantity of crack cocaine.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher said: “I commend the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case. Jordana Levine represented Hill.
