A former Burlington School Board commissioner has been charged with drug trafficking after his arrest in Massachusetts last month.Court documents obtained by NBC5 show that 24-year-old Rida Kori was arrested on Interstate 91 in Holyoke back on Sept. 16. At the time of his arrest, Massachusetts State Police said he had 86 grams of narcotics in his vehicle.According to the documents, the Drug Enforcement Agency had been investigating Kori for several months. The agency had become aware that his brother, Ramzi Kori, was arrested in Vermont back in July 2021 for trafficking heroin and for firearm possession. However, Rida Kori did not have a criminal history prior to his arrest last month.In August and September, DEA agents observed Rida Kori’s vehicle making short trips between Connecticut and Massachusetts using electronic surveillance. Officials identified the trips as following patterns observed with narcotics trafficking. He was also observed at known narcotics trafficking locations in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Enfield, Connecticut.On the afternoon of Sept. 16, police were able to stop Rida Kori while he was heading back to Vermont from one of these trips and searched his vehicle, where they found 1,300 envelopes of heroin or fentanyl in his glove box and an additional 3,000 envelopes of narcotics in a locked safe in the trunk of the vehicle, totaling 86 grams.Rida Kori appeared before a judge the following day and was released on a $10,000 bail. He is due for another court appearance Oct. 3. Rida Kori graduated from Burlington High School and later attended Central Connecticut State to play Division 1 soccer. After he obtained his degree in finance, he returned to Vermont as an assistant varsity soccer coach at Burlington High School and Peak Football Academy, according to the Burlington School Commission website.Burlington School Board Chair Clare Wool issued the following statement about Rida Kori: “On behalf of the Burlington School Board I want to thank Commissioner Kori for his volunteer service and I have accepted his verbal resignation due to personal circumstances. At this time it would be inappropriate for me to discuss anything further.”NBC5 is working to obtain more information about Rida Kori and will provide updates when available.
A former Burlington School Board commissioner has been charged with drug trafficking after his arrest in Massachusetts last month.
Court documents obtained by NBC5 show that 24-year-old Rida Kori was arrested on Interstate 91 in Holyoke back on Sept. 16. At the time of his arrest, Massachusetts State Police said he had 86 grams of narcotics in his vehicle.
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According to the documents, the Drug Enforcement Agency had been investigating Kori for several months. The agency had become aware that his brother, Ramzi Kori, was arrested in Vermont back in July 2021 for trafficking heroin and for firearm possession. However, Rida Kori did not have a criminal history prior to his arrest last month.
In August and September, DEA agents observed Rida Kori’s vehicle making short trips between Connecticut and Massachusetts using electronic surveillance. Officials identified the trips as following patterns observed with narcotics trafficking. He was also observed at known narcotics trafficking locations in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Enfield, Connecticut.
On the afternoon of Sept. 16, police were able to stop Rida Kori while he was heading back to Vermont from one of these trips and searched his vehicle, where they found 1,300 envelopes of heroin or fentanyl in his glove box and an additional 3,000 envelopes of narcotics in a locked safe in the trunk of the vehicle, totaling 86 grams.
Rida Kori appeared before a judge the following day and was released on a $10,000 bail. He is due for another court appearance Oct. 3.
Rida Kori graduated from Burlington High School and later attended Central Connecticut State to play Division 1 soccer. After he obtained his degree in finance, he returned to Vermont as an assistant varsity soccer coach at Burlington High School and Peak Football Academy, according to the Burlington School Commission website.
Burlington School Board Chair Clare Wool issued the following statement about Rida Kori:
“On behalf of the Burlington School Board I want to thank Commissioner Kori for his volunteer service and I have accepted his verbal resignation due to personal circumstances. At this time it would be inappropriate for me to discuss anything further.”
NBC5 is working to obtain more information about Rida Kori and will provide updates when available.
