By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
A South Hero man has been sentenced in federal court in Rutland to eight months in prison for his part in the theft of hundreds of items from the mail valued over $13,000.
Kevin Manning, 42, of Lake Road also was told he would be under federal supervised release conditions for three years once he is discharged from prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Lanthier also assessed $400 in court fees.
He will get credit for six months while detained following his federal arraignment in February.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn had argued for a prison sentence between 8 and 14 months, which was the recommendation of the federal sentencing guidelines.
She noted Manning had been stealing mail from porches and mailboxes of his neighbors in Grand Isle County for months. In one court-ordered search on Christmas Eve 2025, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department seized more than 120 items he had stolen along with a juvenile accomplice, court records show.
Flynn noted the stealing continued and a second search warrant was executed at his residence on Feb. 13 recovering more stolen items.
She said the items stolen included winter coats, prescription medications, checks, license plates, safety supplies such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, medical equipment such as diabetes testing supplies, a blood pressure cuff and a wrist brace.
Flynn said the thefts came during the Christmas season when the amount of mail increases.
She noted that Manning has a history of stealing, including two criminal convictions for petty larceny in Chittenden County court when he received a sentence of 3-to-12 months in prison, all suspended and placed on probation for 18 months in 2001. He also had a 2017 criminal conviction for petty larceny in Grand Isle County. He received a sentence of 30 days to one year in prison, all suspended and placed on probation for 18 months, Flynn said.
She noted that when he stolen the mail in Grand Isle County, Manning was on conditions of release for an altercation with his neighbor in which a gun was discharged. Manning and a neighbor were in a near two-car collision and Manning went home, fired a gun and then went to the neighbor’s house, where he pointed the gun at the neighbors, the prosecutor noted.
When Manning was arraigned in July 2025 he was told he could not possess firearms or dangerous weapons, but deputy sheriff’s found three guns, knives and other possible dangerous weapons starting with the raids in December 2025 in the mail case, records show.
Chief Federal Defender Alejandro Fernandez had argued that the six months in pre-trial detention was enough of a penalty and asked for a downward departure of at least two months from the federal sentencing guidelines. Judge Lanthier declined.
He said Manning has turned his life around and is now drug free. Fernandez noted his client had changed both internally and externally. He said Manning has gained 30 pounds and a woolly beard that makes him look 5-10 years younger.
Fernandez also noted that Manning has helped kick his 10-years of daily crack cocaine use and marijuana as a child.
“Mr. Manning is sober for the first time in a really long time, and it shows,” Fernandez wrote in his sentencing memo.
Fernandez said he doubted any additional time would have an impact on his client.
Fernandez said the defendant’s partner, Shannon Brownell, who has been with him for more than 20 years, has noticed a difference in Manning.
Manning said he attributes the recent change in his life to counseling, medication and yearning for his family, Fernandez said.
Grand Isle County Sheriff Ray Allen said the mail theft case came together when a local citizen provided video linking Manning to a possible larceny. Sgt. Jason Essinger worked with Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito to prepare a search warrant for a judge to review and a raid was planned for the home.
Sgts. Nicholas Pillsbury and Essinger spearheaded the investigation in recent weeks after 28 complaints were received about missing mail in the towns of South Hero and Grand Isle, Allen said at the time.
“The final break was when a victim got video of the operator of a vehicle committing a crime. It was shared with us and it led to a search warrant that afternoon,” Allen said.
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