By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First

A suspected major drug dealer from the St. Albans area was present during a homicide in Addison County on Sunday and then falsely reported her car was stolen after fleeing the shooting scene, according to federal court records.

Vermont State Police arrested Kimberly “Coons” Bouchard, 36, as she stepped off a Vermont Translines bus in downtown Burlington on Thursday.

She was wanted for distribution of crack cocaine and fentanyl — her third round of drug selling charges in 15 months, according to federal court records.

Bouchard was present when Scott Lanpher, 35, of Leicester was gunned down at his property at 1352 U.S. 7 and his brother, Larry Lanpher, 31, was seriously wounded, authorities said.

A motion filed in federal court on Friday seeking Bouchard’s detention is the first public disclosure that the double shooting about 9:55 p.m. Sunday June 4 was drug related.

“The investigation is still in its early stages, however law enforcement has information that the shooting occurred during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller wrote in the motion.

The State Police Major Crimes Unit is working on identifying a suspect in the shooting, according to Detective Capt. Scott Dunlap on Friday. The shooting happened about 4 miles north of the Brandon Fire Station.

Fuller said law enforcement is aware “that Bouchard was present at the shooting, that she left the scene of the homicide in a vehicle registered to her; that she later falsely reported that vehicle stolen.”

VSP is investigating a report that a black Nissan sedan was seen leaving the area.

Fuller said Bouchard purchased two tickets on a Greyhound bus on Monday for travel out of Plattsburgh, N.Y. and that she arrived back in Burlington on Thursday after getting off a Vermont Transline bus and was arrested.

The false report about the stolen car was made to Burlington Police, authorities said. The vehicle was found in Middlebury, police said.

Now the new federal felony charge is for knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine in St. Albans based on a case by a detective from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department assigned to the Vermont Drug Task Force. The $320 sale happened when the seller pulled up in a white Ford SUV outside the Walmart in St. Albans, records show.

The SUV was followed to the Beverage Mart on Lake Street where Bouchard and a known associate, Zaquikon Roy, got out of the car and went into the store, court records show. They were later positively identified, police said. They said Roy is also known as “Zay” and “Charlie.”

Bouchard was jailed overnight and appeared in federal court late Friday afternoon. Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle agreed to a request by the government for a continuance until Tuesday to have complete arguments on the detention motion.

Bouchard is well-known to state and local drug investigators, police said. Bouchard was charged on March 7, 2022 in Franklin County with three counts of sale of cocaine for distributions a year earlier on March 28, March 29 and March 30, 2021. She was released only on conditions.

Police learned in March of this year that Bouchard was still peddling drugs, including fentanyl and that she was providing housing and support to help facilitate drug traffickers, court records show. Bouchard was out on court conditions that included she was not to buy, use or possess drugs without a prescription.

Bouchard was arraigned on May 3 on five more counts of felony drug sales and three misdemeanors for violating her earlier conditions of release. The sales involved three cases of cocaine and two of fentanyl, court records show.

Judge Martin Maley refused to release her on conditions only. He imposed $5,000 bail, which Bouchard posted.

Now Bouchard is facing a drug distribution charge in federal court, which treats drug cases more serious than state court.

Scott Lanpher’s death was attributed to gunshot wounds to the upper body, according to an autopsy performed by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington.

Larry Lanpher Jr. was initially treated at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury and then flown by helicopter to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. He remained there for about 5 days.

The Vermont Crime Scene Search Team completed its processing of the Lanpher property. Investigators have interviewed witnesses and acquaintances of the victims, reviewed video and conducted a neighborhood canvass.

Republished from Vermont News First Facebook post