United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Kajuan Woods, 35, of Brooklyn, New York has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute in Burlington, Vermont in January 2024. Woods was arrested in connection with this complaint on June 4, 2024. Woods’s initial appearance in court is scheduled for June 6, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in Burlington.

According to court records, on January 19, 2024, Woods was one of six individuals located inside 195 St. Paul Street, Apartment A, Burlington, where law enforcement executed a search warrant as part of a drug trafficking investigation. Woods was wearing a satchel at the time, and within the satchel was nearly ten grams of fentanyl, including some fentanyl containing xylazine, drug packaging materials, and over $1,100 in U.S. currency. Within the apartment, law enforcement found seven handguns, three of which had previously been reported stolen. In the apartment over 22 grams of pure methamphetamine, over 48 grams of cocaine base, and approximately 17 grams of fentanyl were found.

Then, in the early morning hours of May 12, 2024, officers from the South Burlington Police Department encountered Woods and a woman apparently passed out in a running vehicle. Woods provided a false name to officers. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed over 28 grams of suspected cocaine, a partially loaded 9-millimeter Glock magazine, a stolen Apple MacBook Pro, and over $2,400 of stolen clothing.

On June 4, 2024, after responding to reports of a male threatening a woman with a firearm on Pearl Street, Burlington Police Department officers located Woods and a woman in a vehicle and attempted to detain them. Woods was momentarily compliant, then ran from police, leading them on a foot chase through multiple backyards. After Woods was apprehended, officers learned his identity and arrested him pursuant to an active federal arrest warrant. A search of Woods’s person revealed over 34 grams of suspected cocaine and a bullet in his pocket. Within the vehicle that Woods had been driving, officers found a fanny pack on the floorboard of the driver’s seat that contained a Glock 17 Gen4 9-millimeter pistol, suspected cocaine base, ten wax folds of suspected fentanyl, and empty wax folds. Also, over $3,200 in U.S. currency was located in the vehicle.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Woods is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Woods faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the current charge in the complaint. The actual sentence, however, 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 and hard work of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and also thanked the South Burlington Police Department.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate.  Woods is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.