Romero Pleads, November Sentencing

The Office of the United States Attorney stated that Judy Champagne, aka
Judy Romero, 42, of Morristown, pleaded guilty in United States District
Court, in Brattleboro, to conspiracy to distribute heroin. She also
agreed to forfeit her residence in Morristown to the United States. This
residence was used by Champagne to facilitate her illegal drug
activities.
The house will be auctioned off and the money will be split between the
agencies involved in the bust. Morristown Police Chief Richard Keith
said in a previous interview that his department will probably receive
around 27 percent of the sale.
 Champagne and several other Lamoille County residents and an individual
from Springfield, MA, were arrested in August 2002 for distribution of
heroin between December 2001 and July 2002. The others charged in the
case are Jerry Romero, 45, Lawrence Martin, 54, Kim Rafferty, 41, Diane
Plante,  46, Angelo Frazetta, 32, and Robert Thomas, 34, all of
Morrisville, VT, and Kenny Martinez of Springfield, MA.
Champagne is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24, 2003.
According to court records, the Lamoille County Drug Task Force
(comprised of members from the Lamoille County Sheriff's Dept., the
Morristown Police Dept., and the Stowe Police Dept.) launched an
investigation into the heroin trafficking activities of Champagne in
December 2001. After several undercover purchases of heroin were made
from Champagne, the DEA began assisting the Sheriff's Department in the
continuing investigation of Champagne and her associates, Over the next
several months, additional undercover purchases of heroin were made from
the co-conspirators on nine separate occasions. During many of these
sales, the defendant selling the heroin was observed by law enforcement
to go to the Champagne residence immediately prior to the sale. Police
seized 90 bags of heroin and $6,000 in cash, as well as other drug
paraphernalia, during the bust.
That heroin bust remains the largest ever made in Lamoille County.
Champagne's residence is being forfeited on the basis that it was used
by her to facilitate her drug distribution activities. Under federal
law, any property that is derived from the sale of drugs or which is
used to commit or to facilitate the commission of a violation of the
Controlled Substance Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 801-971, is subject to forfeiture
to the United States.
Rafferty, Thomas and Martin previously pleaded guilty. The other
defendants are awaiting trial. The United States Attorney emphasized
that the charges contained in the indictment are accusations only and
the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven
guilty.
United States Attorney Peter W. Hall credited the Lamoille County Drug
Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Admini-stration's Drug Task Force
for their thorough investigation of Judy Champagne and her associates.
In particular, the United States Attorney praised the work of Lamoille
County Sheriff Roger Marcoux Jr. , Morristown Police Chief Richard
Keith, Stowe Police Chief Ken Kaplan and Special Agent Frank Del Re, of
the DEA, for their cooperative work on the case.
The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Thomas D. Anderson.
Champagne is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Barbara O'Connor.