Colchester man convicted for role in deadly armed robbery of alleged rival drug dealer in Swanton

A Colchester man has been convicted of drug, gun and robbery offenses stemming from the death of an alleged rival drug dealer in Swanton more than two years ago.

A jury returned its guilty verdicts Monday against Dominique Troupe, 37, following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Rutland.

Troupe was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, using a firearm while committing a drug trafficking offense, robbery and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to court records.

Chandler Matson, Troupe’s attorney, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

Troupe supplied the firearm that was used in the robbery that resulted in the fatal shooting of Elijah Oliver, 22, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, the alleged rival dealer, prosecutors said in a press release announcing the jury verdict.

Troupe, who was arrested in September 2022, remains in custody as he awaits sentencing, which has not yet been set.

He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life. Judge Geoffrey Crawford will determine the sentence, taking into consideration federal sentencing guidelines.

According to federal authorities, Troupe was dealing cocaine out of a house on River Street in Swanton when, in January 2022, he learned that a rival cocaine dealer had moved to Swanton and was cutting into his sales.

“To address this problem, two of Troupe’s Swanton- based re-distributors came up with the idea to rob the rival drug dealer of his drugs and money,” federal prosecutors stated in the press release.

“Tragically,” the release added, “during the attempted armed robbery, Elijah Oliver, 22, of Massachusetts, was shot twice, and killed.”

Federal prosecutors did not immediately return a message Wednesday seeking information about the status of the probe into Oliver’s killing.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Colchester man convicted for role in deadly armed robbery of alleged rival drug dealer in Swanton .