Aron Lee Ethridge, 41, of Henderson, Nevada was indicted April 14 in federal court in Vermont on charges of participating in a conspiracy resulting in the kidnapping of Gregory Davis of Danville, on January 6, 2018. 

The indictment identifies Ethridge’s co-conspirator as Jerry Banks, who was indicted on April 14 on kidnapping charges. The indictment charging Ethridge explains how Banks communicated with Ethridge about the kidnapping and murder of Davis. 

Court documents say Banks arrived at Davis’s Danville home on the evening of January 6, 2018, posing as a United States Marshal claiming to arrest Davis. Davis was found dead the next day in a snowbank on a Barnet, Vermont road several miles from the Davis residence. Although Banks is not charged with Davis’s murder, the complaint affidavit contains allegations that Banks murdered Davis.

The charges against Ethridge carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 

Selling unauthorized UK flea powder – Lisa Wheeler, 56, of Lyndonville was sentenced by federal judge Geoffrey Crawford on April 19, to time served for selling misbranded pet medications which were not approved for use in the United States. Crawford also sentenced Wheeler to three months of probation during which she must complete 20 hours of community service at a humane society or other animal charity. The maximum penalty for this misdemeanor offense was one year imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.

Wheeler also agreed to forfeit a substantial amount of pet medications, which were seized from her residence pursuant to a search warrant executed in August 2020. As the government noted at sentencing, Wheeler fully accepted responsibility for the offense and cooperated with the investigation.

According to court records, in 2020, Wheeler received voluminous shipments of prescription pet products, including flea medications, from a United Kingdom company associated with Bestflea.com, Petbucket.com, and Pharma Group. These medications were unapproved versions of prescription pet drugs available in the United States. Wheeler received hundreds of bulk packages of these pet medications and repackaged them for shipping to customers within the United States. Wheeler received a commission from the owner of the British companies for each parcel she shipped on their behalf.  

Waterboarding at Norwich – Several Norwich University students are being ticketed for hazing, and some facing criminal charges after police say branding and waterboarding incidents were brought to their attention.

Police say they issued six Norwich University students hazing tickets, which carry a fine of up to $5,000, following a March 20, 2022 investigation into the women’s rugby team.

The students are all aged 20 to 22-years-old. Three other students have been cited in Washington Superior Court.

A 21-year-old student is charged with simple assault and reckless endangerment, and is considered a youthful offender, police say. Youthful offender cases are handled in Family Court, which is sealed.

Police say Bryana Pena, 22, is charged with simple assault, and Amanda Lodi, 22, is charged with reckless endangerment.

Heroin possession – At 7:40 pm on April 22, police were told of a male operator passed out in his vehicle at the intersection of Pomfret Rd. and Quechee-Hartland Rd in Hartford. 

While rescue and police were responding to the scene, the male woke up and started to drive away. The vehicle was located and troopers conducted a motor vehicle stop. Police say the male operator, Raymond Fielder, 46, of Enfield NH, was under the influence of intoxicants. 

He was transported to the Royalton Barracks for processing and cited to appear in Windsor County Criminal Court to answer to the charge of DUI-D and Possession of a Heroin.

Meth, crack possession – at 9 pm April 22, state troopers during a motor vehicle stop in Barre City developed probable cause that the operator, Christopher Lancaster of Barre Town, was in possession of illicit drugs. 

Lancaster then attempted to throw a crack pipe and bag of cocaine under a troopers vehicle. Lancaster was taken into custody, a subsequent search of his person and vehicle yielded methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and prescription pills. Troopers developed probable cause that Lancaster was distributing drugs out of his home in Barre Town. 

At 10 pm, a search warrant was executed on his home which yielded a stolen handgun and an additional quantity of crack cocaine. Lancaster was issued a citation to appear in Washington County Superior Court – Criminal Division on 04/28/2022 at 1230 hours and subsequently released.

Charges include Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Depressant, Stimulant or Narcotic, & Receiving Stolen Property.