To the troopers who stopped a wrong-way driver on I-91 in the middle of the night, the dispatchers on the receiving end of twenty-plus abusive calls, the officers who dealt with the same Montpelier man twice before breakfast, and every deputy, agent and municipal officer who answered a call in between: thank you. Your work keeps Vermont’s roads, homes and schools safer, and it rarely gets the credit it deserves.
The ATF arrests Nathaniel Santiago, 40, of Barre City on federal drug charges on Pine Street in Burlington on Friday
According to an analysis of FBI data, Vermont recorded the seventh-highest rate of grocery-store shoplifting in the United States.
Four people were arrested Monday after Rutland police stopped a vehicle that Vermont State Police say had been stolen overnight from a Clarendon business.
Clark said she’s just upholding the law and that her personal political preferences are clearly on the side of the trespassers.
A dangerous South Burlington man, who was sentenced to federal prison in 2022 after threatening a former domestic partner with an AK-47 rifle while on drugs, has been arrested again for a new gun charge, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Police investigate it as a possible hate crime
A Franklin County man with a history of making threats to shoot up or bomb schools in northwestern Vermont, has been charged in federal court in Burlington with threatening to kill President Donald J. Trump.
Thomas Hatfield, 26, entered the plea Monday. A charge of cruelty to a child was dismissed as part of the agreement accepted by the court.
When Sarah George took office, she brought new ideas about criminal justice that I believed were worth trying at the time. I still believe in criminal justice reform. But it’s been over nine years, longer than a presidential term, and we’ve seen the results. The experiment has failed.
Move comes after State’s Attorney Sarah George gives them a pass.
A mother and son both charged in incident of child sex crime.
Tammy Haas, 61, is accused of sending death threats, placing metal spikes in the woman’s driveway, posting signs containing her photograph and home address around Essex County, and creating a social media account in her name, the Caledonian-Record reported.
Shameik Camara, 37, was on federal supervised release from illegal gun theft and possession convictions when he made the drug sales in Windham County, a federal prosecutor said in U.S. District Court.
In early September 2026, a dark-web service began advertising digital scans of more than 153 million U.S. and Canadian driver’s licenses, according to a recent TechCrunch article, along with millions of other ID cards, passports, and medical or cannabis cards.
Kaylee Bailey, 16, was traveling west on Richardson Road on a 2025 Kawasaki KLX140 on Oct. 5 when she struck Kyle Hunt’s 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. According to Vermont State Police, Hunt was traveling east when he turned south in front of the dirt bike.
A 73-year-old New Hampshire man died Tuesday after witnesses said he got out of his truck following a crash on Route 5 and walked off a nearby cliff.
New details about the brutal and senseless killing by Theodore Bland, 31, formerly of Stowe, because of a drug debt Oct. 12, 2023 were outlined during the more than one-hour sentencing.
Three New York City area men, who authorities said set up a temporary drug trafficking business in Addison County, along with a local resident, are behind bars following a joint state and federal investigation into the distribution of illegal drugs in the New Haven and Hinesburg area.
Nathan Farr, 36, denied in federal court on Friday that he managed and controlled 2465 Frontage Rod in Swanton as an owner and occupant between at least September 29, 2025 and Dec. 4, 2025 when the residence was raided by law enforcement authorities led by Swanton Village Police.
Thompson has prior convictions for assault and robbery as well as aggravated assault with a weapon. At the time of the August stabbing, he was already out on pretrial release conditions after a July 2026 arrest for assault and robbery in which a police officer was injured.
VSP says house leveled after propane leak explosion
At about 1:16 a.m. on September 4, officers were called to College Street near Thorsen Way for a report of a man waving a firearm. A responding officer spotted Isaac Walters of Winooski and tried to stop him. Walters ran, and the officer chased him on foot, bringing him to the ground.
A homeless Burlington career criminal, who police say threatened to kill a City Market employee with a knife while reportedly stealing a shopping cart with store merchandise, is now facing a federal robbery charge.
She had her three young children in the car
Berlin police say investigators have found no indication of a credible or ongoing threat to the public following a report of an attempted kidnapping involving a child.
A not guilty plea has been offered in federal court on behalf of a Newport felon facing a charge of being in possession of a Ruger 9-mm and ammunition that he reportedly stole by placing a knife to the throat of a local man earlier this year.
Vermont activists are being invited to a two-day “Election Defense Workshop” next month that will include planning and scenarios for “mass non-violent direct action” if election results are threatened in Vermont or elsewhere in the country.
A Mississippi felon, who was linked to the fatal stabbing of a minister’s son, has been arrested with a loaded firearm in Orleans County near the international border, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Data breaches have become increasingly common, exposing sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers (SSNs), login credentials, and financial details. If you’ve been affected by a data breach, taking immediate action can help minimize potential damage and protect yourself from identity theft and fraud. Below are key steps to take to safeguard your identity and financial well-being.
WARNING: Profanity
Police identified the motorcyclist as Adam Blow, 47, of Burlington. Officer Blake Allen was conducting traffic enforcement near Shelburne and Bay roads at about 12:16 AM Aug. 20 when stationary radar recorded Blow’s Suzuki GSX-8R traveling south at 100 mph. Blow pulled over and was issued a speeding ticket in lieu of arrest.
Dylin “Slim” Wainscott, 30, and Precious “P” Okorie, 32, both of Springfield Mass. are charged in the latest federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Rutland this week, officials said.
A young teenager dressed entirely in black reportedly raced through Burlington streets the night of August 18 on a high-powered electric motorcycle without lights, reflectors or a helmet, adding another incident to growing concerns over e-bikes, e-motos and other motorized devices on city streets.
Burlington police say Nicholas Hulbert, 38, a vagrant, was allegedly committing a retail theft at City Market at 82 South Winooski Avenue at about 6:41 PM August 19 when a store manager attempted to intervene. Police say Hulbert then produced a knife, placing the manager in fear for his life, before fleeing on foot.
Office for National Statistics figures and related studies show that when access to certain lethal means is tightly limited, the underlying drive to harm does not disappear; people simply turn to whatever remains available.
AdaptHealth sells and rents durable medical equipment — the industry term for medical gear people use at home rather than in a hospital or clinic.
Timothy Magee, 45, was shot during an incident reported at about 8:35 PM Sunday, Aug. 16, at a residence on Holliday Road in Albany, police said.; Cops seek green Subaru from MA
State police received the report at about 1:24 PM Aug. 16 that Nubian Mohammed had unlawfully restrained household members at a location on U.S. Route 2.
After two recent fatal dog attacks, the Waitsfield Select Board is reminding residents and visitors that dogs must be physically leashed on public property, the Valley Reporter, the weekly newspaper for the Mad River Valley, reported August 13.
After the alleged theft, the café says it made contact with the person, who admitted to taking the cat and sent photos of the animal. However, subsequent attempts to negotiate the cat’s return reportedly broke down, with the individual instead threatening self-harm and making threats toward staff.
May have swum Lake Champlain, authorities say
A trip to City Market ended in a knife threat and an arrest Monday morning after a Burlington man tried to walk out of the South End store with a cart full of unpaid groceries, according to Burlington Police.
Why this matters: attackers took over small water systems across the country this summer without exploiting a single software flaw — and Vermont’s own program to help systems like yours has yet to deliver. Here’s what you can do without waiting for it.
Burlington spent hours this week arguing over “Burlington Forward,” a Democratic-backed public-safety resolution aimed at open drug use, homelessness, threatening behavior, theft, encampments and disorder in public spaces. Democratic councilors moved it to committee over the objections of the mayor and Progressive councilors.
The Vermont State Police are asking for the public’s help as detectives continue investigating a shooting that left one man wounded and a woman assaulted Sunday afternoon in Newbury.
Recent incidents can make lithium-ion batteries look like random time bombs. The mechanism is better understood than that, though not entirely reassuring: a battery can sustain internal damage long before any visible sign of failure appears.
Troy “Breeze” McIlwain, 37, of St. Albans, David “Cane” Lauderbach, 42, of Milton and Angel Louis Concepcion, 37, of McKinney, Texas are charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl between August 12, 2025 and May of this year, records show.
Fire officials say this kind of incident is becoming more common as e-bikes grow in popularity. Winooski Fire Department Lieutenant Adam Lind offered some practical safety advice for e-bike owners, recommending that people store and charge their batteries outside the home, or keep them disconnected from the bike itself when not in use, to reduce the risk of a fire spreading inside a living space.
Police responded at about 7:07 PM on July 30 to Domino’s Pizza at 250 Railroad St. for a report of an armed robbery. Investigators said the suspect, later identified as Jennifer T. Ricker, 34, of St. Johnsbury, displayed a firearm before taking money from the cash register and fleeing the scene.
Rutland City Police arrested Victor J. Contreras, 26, on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl after he stashed the backpack near the Rutland Regional Medical Center, federal court records show.
A Bennington man is facing multiple criminal charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and illegal possession of a firearm, following a shooting and subsequent four-vehicle crash in Bennington, officials said.
At least three of the suspects had been arrested before for occupying the same office building in Williston.
An Enosburg man is facing charges of obstruction of justice, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct by electronic device after he reportedly made threats to several members of the Vermont State Police assigned to the St. Albans barracks, officials said Tuesday.
Prosecutors argued that Said, who faces a homicide charge in the death of Christina Chatlos, 38, should not receive any additional leniency. Caledonia State’s Attorney Claire Burns told the court that the state had originally sought to hold Said without bail and remains concerned about public safety and the possibility that he could flee while living in Massachusetts.
Interim Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke said the two men were arrested following a month’s long investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the downtown area of the Queen City.
Vermont State Police responded at about 3:15 AM on July 17 to reports of a truck on fire in the roadway. A preliminary investigation found that a small tanker truck traveling southbound experienced an apparent mechanical problem that ignited the vehicle. The cause of the mechanical failure remains under investigation.
It includes using 6 juveniles to sell his crack cocaine in Rutland County
Initial reports indicated that one man, Puma’s father, James, was stabbed and taken to Porter Hospital, apparently by his wife, Janet.
Renee Orzolek, 49, of Craftsbury was conducting flagging operations for road maintenance near Leavitt Circle at about 3:55 p.m. when she was struck by a 2025 GMC Canyon driven by Colby Currier, 88, of Troy, according to police.
Following a brief struggle, the individual—identified as Matthew Adams, 35, of Essex Junction—continued to actively resist arrest, striking and biting law enforcement officers before being taken into custody.
Ashley Williams, 31, of St. Johnsbury, was found outside the residence and was in possession of a trafficking weight of a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, police said. Osvaldo Andino Rodriguez, 43, of Meriden, Connecticut, was found inside the residence, police said. Approximately 115 grams of a substance that field tested positive for cocaine base and over $47,000 in currency were seized, police said.
Investigators are now trying to identify the owner of the pit bull, described as a woman between 40 and 50 years old who was accompanied by a child believed to be 8 to 10 years old at the time of the incident.
When the contractor did not respond to Provost’s demands to move the van, Provost presented a small caliber handgun and fired two rounds into the ground near the van.
Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito has agreed to participate in the Court Diversion program as an alternative way to resolve his off-duty arrest for driving while under the influence in Franklin County on April 14.
State health officials are encouraging private well owners in the Newport Center area to test their well water after a collaborative study found elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium and gross alpha radiation in some wells on the north side of Vance Hill Road.
The deceased individual is believed to be the man who jumped into the Lamoille River upstream of the lake Wednesday evening to attempt to rescue a young relative who fell into the water.
David Gendreau, 46, was lodged at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport on charges of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, unlawful mischief and disorderly conduct, state police said.
Ryan S. Orvis, 38, of Hinesburg, is facing various criminal charges, including the theft of $8,000 in tools during a burglary at a construction project inside Mater Christi School on Mansfield Avenue in Burlington, the sheriff’s department said.
The incident was reported at about 7:50 p.m. near the intersection of Highbridge Road, also known as Route 104A, and Arrowhead Lake Road. Initial reports indicated a group of relatives were fishing along the shore when a young girl fell into the water, and a man jumped in to try to rescue her.
Subsequent investigation has revealed the death is not suspicious and is believed to be the result of an accidental drowning. Independent witness statements indicate Richardson voluntarily went into the river and was quickly overpowered by the swift current.
The operator, Jireth Guardado, 27, of Essex, told police he was navigating north on Lake Champlain from the Burlington area when he struck an unknown object in the lake.
A Windsor County man, who authorities say killed his mother while driving under the influence of drugs in 2017, was arrested again on Saturday on a felony charge of DUI — drugs, third offense, after crashing into a Highgate motel.
A New Hampshire registered nurse pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Burlington on Friday to diverting drugs from psychiatric ward patients and tampering with medications at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in White River Junction for at least nine months last year.
Officers entered the building and found Gilman hiding in a small closet or crawl space off an upstairs bedroom.
Court records show Palermo attempted to flee and resist arrest when confronted by the U.S. Marshals Service and Vermont State Police as they executed two extraditable warrants from New Hampshire on April 24 in Groton. State and federal investigators had tracked Palermo to a house at 100 Tinkham Road when they confronted him on the front porch, state police said.
The five-year fight over who runs it is settled. The fight over whether it gets built just started.
Released earlier on conditions from state drug charges
Never seen alive after leaving Barre.
Jakiy Keith, 26, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Burlington to 13 years and one month behind bars. Keith had pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and to carrying a firearm during a drug crime.
The man charged with trying to kill a Grand Isle County deputy sheriff by running him over with a car in March has been released on bail.
Monday morning, FYIVT published an article examining Vermont’s latest “Tax the Rich-ish” campaign and the economic data behind it. By the end of the day, FYIVT had experienced the largest coordinated login attack recorded in the site’s history.
When timelines and details matter
During the course of an unrelated investigation, it was revealed Malik Daley, 39, of Barton, had inappropriate conduct with an adult female sometime between the months of March and April 2026 at a residence on Glover Road in Barton, state police said.
A combination of disorientation and exhaustion and the time of day led her to play it safe and call for help. From Stowe Mountain Rescue
Tanner Hart, 32, of Burlington was picked up on a state parole warrant after the short swim and also was cited for a charge of resisting arrest, the sheriff’s department said. He is due in Vermont Superior Court on July 23.
Vermont’s blotter this week ran heavy on drugs, break-ins and impaired driving. A federal judge handed down a six-year sentence in a Windham County guns-and-drugs case, troopers chased down a wanted man at a Newbury burglary, and a Rutland man was charged with torching a community center.
A Connecticut man, who is charged with defrauding the office of the Vermont State Treasurer out of nearly $475,000, had his federal court hearing postponed Thursday when he tested positive for drugs.
An advocacy group’s new poll put the issue at the center of the Chittenden County State’s Attorney race. The August vote turnout will be the real test.
Investigation has shown Crooker was fatally shot at a home shared by Nickles and Lisa Akey and his body was later burned, records show. Vermont State Police later found some bones, but detectives were unable to locate the skull. The investigation continues.
Four people, including a career criminal, were arrested during a drug raid at 501 Pleasant Street in Newport City on Tuesday, police said.
Ellen E. Willson, 39, of Federal Street has pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero to charges of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of gross negligent operation: one with death resulting and one with serious bodily injury, all from the June 15, 2025 crash.
Springfield Police, assisted by the heavily armed Vermont State Police SWAT Team, conducted an early morning drug raid at 26 Litchfield St. on Friday.
Federal authorities have arrested five out-of-state suspects as part of more than a $500,000 fraud perpetrated on banks and credit unions throughout Vermont and the Northeast.
The week’s incidents are a reminder of the steady, often difficult work of keeping Vermont’s communities safe.
Vermont State Police Drug Task Force detectives and the Tactical Services Unit executed a search warrant at a Johnson residence on June 2, arresting James Mason, 47, and Danarius Davis, 23, on a slate of drug charges that includes fentanyl trafficking, cocaine sales, and conspiracy.
When the search was complete, they had recovered approximately 34.9 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, 2.4 grams of methamphetamine, 448.3 grams of suspected LSD, and a small amount of cash. The case is being handled by Cpl. Gaylord.
A state judge jailed a St. Albans woman on Thursday for several hours as she continued her refusal to turn over the passcode to her cellphone that she was using the day of a fatal motor vehicle crash with two motorcyclists on Father’s Day last year.
$$ from Chinese fraudsters, Newport defense firm, Winooski pornster, Rutland embezzler goes to victims
Vermont State Police say they have new evidence that a Rutland County man arrested on a misdemeanor stalking charge, also was illegally pursuing a separate victim under the age of 16.
