BURLINGTON — A Williamstown man was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison in a federal drug case that a judge called “extraordinary.”

Ronald “Chip” Saldi Jr. was handed the sentence while about 25 friends, family members and employees from his family's business, A&S Collections, looked on in the federal courtroom in Burlington, several of them weeping as Judge William Sessions announced the prison term.

Saldi, 45, was a high-level cocaine and marijuana dealer who was arrested in January 2008 after selling 15 ounces of cocaine to an informant. Authorities say Saldi distributed drugs for at least six years in the central Vermont area before his arrest, buying kilos of cocaine and marijuana from suppliers in the U.S. and Canada and then selling them locally.

Saldi lived well off his drug money, buying a nice house, vehicles and real estate, authorities said. When police raided his house after his arrest, they found $118,000 in cash, along with guns, cocaine and marijuana. Two days after his arrest, Saldi transferred $300,000 from his account to an account controlled by his father, court papers show.

Though the scale of his dealing was serious, officials agreed, the initial drug charges are not what set this case apart. Saldi's actions following his arrest are what truly invited the wrath of the federal government and are a major reason he received a long sentence.

Saldi's worst transgression, authorities said, was his betrayal of an undercover Vermont State Police detective he was closely working with.

On the day of his arrest on 2008, Saldi agreed to help authorities target other dealers, and he was released on court conditions. During this period, he worked closely with Detective Trooper Todd Baxter, a member of the state police drug task force.

As it turns out, however, Saldi continued to sell drugs even while he was supposedly working with police.

During this time, Saldi gave a physical description of Baxter to another alleged drug dealer. Saldi's description of Baxter was detailed, and included a description of Baxter's car, right down to a dent on the license plate.

Saldi also allegedly told that dealer – identified by authorities as Matthew Pape — to tell other people what Baxter looked like and to beware of the undercover detective.

Pape, however, soon became a target of police. He was arrested, told police about his relationship with Saldi, and agreed to wear a wire during a drug deal with Saldi, court papers show.

As a result of that deal, Saldi was arrested in March 2009 on new drug charges as his first case was still pending.

Saldi pleaded guilty in both the 2008 and 2009 cases.

Prosecutors argued that Saldi's disclosure of Baxter's identity was a deliberate obstruction of justice that should be considered in the sentencing calculation.

What made it particularly disturbing, prosecutors argued, is that Baxter was not some “theoretical officer.”

“Defendant had been dealing with Detective Baxter for many months, meeting him regularly, riding to meets with him, calling him, coming to proffers with him,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “After all that personal contact, Defendant set him up to walk into every narcotics officer's nightmare. That verges on the sociopathic.”

Sessions sided with prosecutors.

“You put into jeopardy not only the investigation, but the lives of the people involved in the investigation,” said Sessions. “That is real obstruction of justice.”

Sessions was baffled by Saldi's drug dealing, which picked up again so soon after his arrest.

“I'm shocked, frankly, by his close to immediate return to selling drugs while at the same time spending almost every day with Mr. Baxter,” Sessions said.

Saldi blamed his drug addiction. He said he gave drugs to other people, who would then give him Oxycontin pills, to which Saldi said he was extremely addicted.

His opiate addiction also is the reason he offered Baxter's description – he wanted to protect dealers so he could continue to get the prescription pills, Saldi said.

“I guess I didn't want to jeopardize where I was getting my Oxycontin,” he said.

Saldi offered information about other drug dealers to authorities after his initial arrest, but Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gelber argued the information was of little value. And in light of his other behavior, it's unlikely Saldi did all he could to cooperate in the arrest and prosecution of other criminals, Gelber argued.

Saldi's attorney pointed out that he did help target Jean Verdiner, a Connecticut man who was one of four people arrested on drug charges in February 2008 at the Hilltop Inn in Berlin. Saldi testified at trial against Verdiner, who was convicted.

As part of his sentence, Saldi is required to undergo substance abuse treatment and will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison term.

More than 20 people – mostly relatives — sent letters to Sessions on Saldi's behalf prior to the sentencing hearing. Almost every one of them described him as a man who loves his family deeply.

Saldi, who is stocky with graying close-cropped hair, a mustache and round glasses, spoke briefly during the hearing. And it was his family he discussed.

“From the first time I got arrested, I only wanted to keep my family together,” he said, which is why he quickly agreed to work with police.
Sessions asked what Saldi wants to do when he is released from prison.

“I want to go back to my wife and my kids,” he said.