U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest
Recent News About U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest
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Barre woman pleads guilty to defrauding elderly Vermonter
Jessica Russell, a 42-year-old resident of Barre, Vermont, has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
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Hartford man sentenced for firearm possession; involved in drug trafficking
On December 16, 2024, Sharad Collier, a 27-year-old from Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
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White River Junction man faces charges for unregistered silencer possession
Joseph Vaillancourt, a 42-year-old resident of White River Junction, Vermont, has been charged with possessing an unregistered silencer.
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Dominican man faces illegal reentry charges in Vermont
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont has announced that a federal grand jury indicted Luis Edison Capellan-Ortiz, a 49-year-old from the Dominican Republic, on charges of illegally reentering the United States after...
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Florida man sentenced for multi-state bank fraud and identity theft
Scott Jamie Ashness, a 44-year-old from Stuart, Florida, was sentenced to four years in prison on November 1, 2024.
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Brooklyn man sentenced to five years for drug distribution
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Quentin Dingle, a 39-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, received a sentence of 60 months in prison.
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Feeding Hills man sentenced for drug trafficking conspiracy in Vermont
Burlington, Vermont – Eddie Melendez, known as "Bart," a 31-year-old resident of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
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Bellows Falls man charged with multiple bank robberies
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Stephen Loewe, 42, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, has been charged by complaint with robbing the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield, Vermont, on August 13, 2024. Mr. Loewe had his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon and is currently detained in federal custody. A hearing will be held next Thursday to determine whether he will remain detained pending trial.
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Eden man sentenced to prison for armed cocaine trafficking
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that on August 5, 2024, Damien Peatman, 26, of Eden, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 29 months’ imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Peatman previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
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Chinese woman indicted for attempted smuggling of protected turtles
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment charging a Chinese woman with attempting to smuggle eastern box turtles, a protected wildlife species, from the United States to Canada for the illegal global pet trade.
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Arlington woman sentenced to home confinement in gun purchase case
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that on July 24, 2024, Candace Walsh, 38, of Arlington, Vermont was sentenced by United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford to time served followed by three years of supervised release with a special condition requiring seven months of home confinement. Walsh previously pleaded guilty to lying about pending state charges when completing a form for the purchase of a firearm.
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Rutland man indicted on firearm possession and drug premises charges
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on July 18, 2024, the federal Grand Jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Daniel McSwiggan, 51, of Rutland, Vermont, with drug and gun offenses. The two-count indictment alleges that between late June and early July 2024, McSwiggan possessed two firearms as an unlawful drug user and made his residence available for drug use and distribution. McSwiggan will be arraigned in the coming days.
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Northfield man sentenced for embezzling over $500K from nonprofit
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 27, 2024, John Van Vught, 73, of Northfield, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Van Vught was also ordered to pay $558,625 in restitution to ValleyNet. Van Vught previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud on February 22, 2024.
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Vermont residents indicted over alleged fraudulent pandemic loans totaling over $170K
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Bounthavong Sonthikoummane, 42, and Ashlyn Arcouette, 32, both of White River Junction, Vermont, on fraud charges stemming from four loans they obtained on behalf of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Sonthikoummane appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered that Sonthikoummane remain in custody pending another hearing on June...