by Guy Page

Eric Edson, 52, of Burlington pleaded not guilty in federal court November 8 to violating the Hobbs Act by obstructing commerce by robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Vermont said.

Edson’s late August, early September multi-modal flight from justice following an alleged armed robbery made national headlines. The career felon fled police by stolen car, boat, tractor and on foot for several days. 

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Edson on September 28. Edson was in state custody following his September 7 arrest and appeared in federal court. Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Edson detained pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. 

According to court records, on August 24, officers from the Burlington Police Department (BPD) responded to a report of a robbery at the Sierra Trading Post located at 555 Shelburne Road in Burlington. Officers learned that a man, later identified as Edson, attempted to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. When a Sierra Trading Post employee asked Edson to return the merchandise to the store, Edson told the employee “I’ll blow your head off” and partially pulled an item that appeared to be a firearm from his hooded sweatshirt pocket. 

Edson then ran to a vehicle and drove away. Edson remained on the run until he was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement on September 7.

Montpelier man busted for child sex crimes – Ian Quinlan, 50, of Montpelier, was arraigned November 9 on five felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. 

The Attorney General’s Office said the charges brought against Mr. Quinlan are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of residential and online date search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Montpelier Police Department, and Burlington Police Department.

SUV clips construction worker – Police are searching for a dark, mid-sized SUV, possibly a Dodge, with a broken sideview mirror after a construction worker was struck on I-91 north on last Wednesday afternoon.

The incident happened just south of exit 15 in Fairlee where the northbound interstate bridge over Lake Morey Road has been undergoing repairs for months.

The construction worker was taken to DHMC with shoulder and back injuries. Attempts to contact him yesterday were not successful. 

Last month, a Maidstone man was arrested after crashing into Jersey barriers and almost striking a construction worker near the I-91 work zone around exit 16 in Bradford.

There have been multiple motor vehicle collisions and rollovers in and around the I-91 construction work zones in Bradford and Fairlee this year. – Journal-Opinion

Inmate who stabbed guard takes plea – Anthony Fitzgerald, a 32-year-old inmate at Northern State Correctional Facility, recently appeared in court to accept a plea agreement. Fitzgerald was initially charged with aggravated assault and simple assault in 2021 for stabbing a corrections officer in the head and abdomen.

Authorities say the confrontation began when Fitzgerald obstructed the view into his cell by placing paper over the door window. After refusing to remove the obstruction and threatening self-harm, an extraction team intervened.

During this intervention, Fitzgerald stabbed an officer multiple times in the head and abdomen.

Fitzgerald’s plea to a reduced charge of Simple Assault on a Protected Professional resulted in the dismissal of the aggravated assault charge with prejudice. The accepted deal includes a sentence of 150 to 190 days, with credit for time already served.

Despite the resolution of these charges, Fitzgerald remains in custody on unrelated charges. 

New Jersey driver bags deer – Just before 5 pm on Saturday,  November 11, the first day of deer rifle season, state police received a report of a car hitting a deer on Rte. 7 in the Rutland County town of Sunderland. Upon arrival, troopers located the deceased deer on the side of the roadway, and a heavily damaged Volvo in the middle of the roadway.

Driver Robert Weinstein was traveling south at about 60 MPH when a deer crossed into the roadway and was struck by the vehicle. Weinstein was not injured.