By Guy Page
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office Wednesday ruled a state police officer was justified in a fatal shooting.
Attorney General Charity Clark has concluded that Vermont State Police Trooper Peter Romeo will not face criminal charges for the July 2025 fatal shooting of Scott Garvey in Putney.
After an extensive independent review, the Attorney General determined that Romeo’s actions were justified under Vermont law. Investigators found that officers and mental health professionals spent nearly five hours attempting to de-escalate a dangerous situation involving Garvey, who was suffering from severe mental illness and reportedly threatening neighbors while claiming to possess a firearm.
When troopers finally entered the apartment with court-authorized warrants, Romeo believed Garvey had raised what appeared to be a rifle and was preparing to fire. It turned out to be a metal pipe, but investigators concluded that a reasonable officer in that moment would have perceived an imminent deadly threat.
Medicaid fraud charges – The Attorney General’s Office also announced charges in two separate Medicaid fraud cases as part of a nationwide health care fraud crackdown.
A Newport woman, 35-year-old Yvonne Wescom, has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of Medicaid fraud. Prosecutors allege she submitted false timesheets for personal care services between May 2025 and January 2026, resulting in more than $15,000 in improper Medicaid payments.
Meanwhile, 38-year-old Darci Sanderson of Brattleboro has pleaded not guilty to a felony Medicaid fraud charge alleging that she and a co-defendant submitted false timesheets that led to approximately $24,000 in payments for services that were never provided. A second defendant is expected to be arraigned later this month.