The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced Tuesday, August 5, 2025, that a former champion snowboarder has been indicted on serious drug crimes in federal court.
News accounts indicate that Rahm Klampert, 45, of Hartford, Vermont, finished first in the U.S. Open snowboarding competitions in 2002 and 2004, according to the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Another local outlet reported that he operates a personal training studio.
During an arraignment on July 31, 2025, Klampert pleaded not guilty to the charge that he had possessed and intended to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
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In June, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Klampert’s home and personal training studio in Hartford. There, according to court records, they found 1.1 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, and 75 grams of fentanyl.
The home and studio also contained $100,000 in cash and 12 firearms, including short-barreled shotguns, assault rifles, and handguns. Three of the guns were identified by law enforcement as stolen.
The Hartford Police also said that month that they had arrested Klampert for several drug-related offenses. The Attorney’s Office said that multiple sources of information told law enforcement that Klampert was involved in drug trafficking in the Hartford area.
Klampert is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If he’s convicted, Klampert faces a ten-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and up to a lifetime term of imprisonment, the Attorney’s Office said.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the efforts of the Hartford Police, alongside the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Brattleboro Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Klampert’s not the only former competitive snowboarder to run afoul of the law. Earlier this year, in March, Canadian and Olympic giant slalom snowboarder Ryan Wedding was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Authorities allege that Wedding is involved with a multi-national drug trafficking ring that shipped cocaine from Columbia to North America and, at the time of publishing, he still hasn’t been found. CTV News reported on August 8 that the FBI believes Wedding is in Mexico, but is being protected by the Sinaloa Cartel.
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Champion Snowboarder in Vermont Faces Serious Drug Charge first appeared on Powder on Aug 11, 2025
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