NORTH HERO – Grand Isle County’s most notorious drug dealer has admitted in Vermont Superior Court that he has failed to start any volunteer service ordered by a judge for two drug trafficking convictions in 2023.

Michael V. Larrow Sr., 67, of Grand Isle had no intention of doing the 200 hours of community service ordered by Judge Sam Hoar Jr. in September 2023, State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito told the court last week.

The hearing was intended to be a trial on claims Larrow has refused for 20 months to do any community service.  Instead, Larrow opted to admit to blowing off the order by Judge Hoar.

Judge Navah C. Spero, who is now presiding in Grand Isle County, said there was not enough time that day for a sentencing hearing.  She proposed setting aside up to 3 hours on the afternoon of Friday June 27 for the sentencing.

The Grand Isle court, which normally hears criminal cases each Thursday, had recently added the Friday date to its schedule because the local docket is so busy, she said.

DiSabito said he might have three witnesses, including Probation Officer Elfad Becic, who regularly reminded Larrow of the community service requirement.

Defense lawyer Patrick Lamb of Burlington said he wants to call two witnesses, Larrow and his doctor.

Spero said it is often difficult to get a doctor to a courthouse and discussed using Zoom.  DiSabito said he preferred to have the doctor at the courthouse for cross examination.

Spero gave Lamb one week to get a commitment from the doctor to appear.  If not, the hearing could be delayed until July or August, she said.

DiSabito and the Grand Isle Selectboard are among those unhappy about Larrow failing to follow through on the sentence.  Over the past two years the Larrow case has been discussed within the county and at the Selectboard meetings, including the non-prison sentence imposed by Hoar.

The wrath expanded across the state following news reports, talk shows and social media posts on the lenient sentence.

During the hearing last week, Judge Spero met with the lawyers privately in chambers for about 10 minutes before they returned to the public courtroom.  When the Larrow hearing was called, the judge told the public, the press, the probation officer, court staff and lawyers that had been kept waiting the contents of the closed-door session.

Spero said she was getting a “weather report” on where the two sides stood and if the hearing, planned for one-hour, was going forward.  She said she did not tell the lawyers what punishment she might impose on Larrow if the case resolved that day.

Spero, who has built a quick reputation for transparency and no-nonsense during her two years on the bench, asked both lawyers if that matched with their memory of their private discussion.  Both agreed.

Lamb, who had met with his client before the case was called, said they would not be going forward and Larrow would admit the violation.  Larrow had initially denied the charge when he arraigned in criminal court in March.

Lamb said he hoped the hearing could be recessed to allow him to write a sentencing memo and for Larrow to get his affairs in order in case he receives prison time.

DiSabito agreed there was not enough time for a sentencing that day.

Spero did agree to allow Larrow to remain free pending the sentencing.

Larrow had been facing a possible life sentence in September 2023 as a habitual offender after his two latest felony convictions — heroin trafficking and fentanyl trafficking – in Grand Isle County.

However, Hoar said he thought the five-time convicted felon did not deserve to spend any time in prison for trafficking drugs.

Hoar, instead, placed Larrow on state probation for up to four years and ordered him to do 200 hours  of community service within two years as his punishment.

Hoar imposed 4-to-10 years in prison, but suspended all of it on the condition Larrow did community service.  Hoar told Larrow he could get his probation period cut from four years to two years if he stayed out of trouble and completed the community service.

DiSabito, partway through the sentencing, reminded the judge that a possible life sentence was on the table, but Hoar said he wasn’t interested in prison for Larrow.

Now with Larrow’s failure to do any community service, Spero is free to impose the 4-to-10-year prison sentence or something shorter.

DiSabito had sought a combined prison sentence of 30 years to life sentence for the latest two felonies. DiSabito also requested a $20,000 fine for the longtime local businessman, who served time in federal prison for one of his other drug trafficking convictions. 

DiSabito told Hoar that each felony drug trafficking crime should have received 15 years to life and that the sentences needed to be consecutive for Larrow.

Larrow is now claiming unspecified health issues make him unable to do any community service.

No mention was made to Judge Hoar by Larrow, his daughter-in-law, or his lawyer during the sentencing that the defendant would be unable to do any volunteer service, or that he had health issues.

The Vermont Department of Corrections has health services available at its prisons.  It also operates an infirmary at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield for those with more serious medical issues.

DiSabito has insisted the volunteer work be done in Grand Isle, a town of 2,200, which was impacted by Larrow’s ongoing drug dealing.

The various court sentences for Larrow, which include obstruction of justice in Chittenden County in 1991, appeared to get lighter as his various drug convictions mounted.  His federal prison term was cut after he went to prison and then his supervised release term was slashed in half, only to have him arrested on new state  drug charges, records show.

Larrow’s drug dealing out of his Hyde Road home and business had been well documented through the years. Larrow’s fishing shop became so notorious as a local source for diverted prescription pills that it was dubbed as “Island Bait and Bean” in the community, DiSabito said in court papers in one of Larrow’s earlier drug cases.

DiSabito said Larrow was told at the 2023 sentencing and also the next day when he met with probation about the need to complete his community service.  Larrow was reminded several more times and even signed papers acknowledging he had to do the volunteer work, but never lifted a finger, the prosecutor said.

“There was no interest from the start,” DiSabito said.

“We have evidence he was reminded.  He was reminded. He was reminded.  He was reminded,” DiSabito said.

Instead, nothing was done.

Larrow has a long history of manipulating or getting unjustified breaks from the courts and judges, DiSabito has said in court papers and hearings.

Becic, the probation officer, said in a court affidavit that Larrow, after the 2023 sentencing, was given a community service log with multiple options for completing the 200 hours.  Larrow also was reminded about his volunteer service each time he had contact with probation, Becic wrote.

DiSabito filed an 84-page sentencing memorandum in 2023, which had documents and records from some of Larrow’s past criminal cases, including his major federal drug trafficking conviction.

DiSabito had said Larrow needed to be taken out of circulation to reduce the risk to himself, others and the community at large.