The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Alexander Chase, 25, of Barre, Vermont, was sentenced today to serve 121 months in prison, followed by a 20-year term of supervised release, for child exploitation crimes, including obtaining images from a child victim and distributing them to others via email.  United States District Judge William K. Sessions also ordered Chase to pay $3,000 of restitution to the victim of the offense.

According to court records and proceedings, in the summer of 2019, Chase posed as a 14-year-old boy on a child chat website.  Chase began corresponding with a 10-year-old girl from Pennsylvania on the chat platform, eventually transitioning to the use of email.  Chase sent the girl a photo of his own genitalia and asked for images of her genitalia in return.  In response, the 10-year-old child sent pictures of her vagina.  Chase then asked the girl for her to pose in a particular manner using a marker or pen as a sexual implement, which led the girl to respond with a picture of herself engaged in conduct similar to what Chase had requested.  During the email correspondence, Chase asked the girl if she would be able to get to Vermont and meet him at his location to engage in sexual contact.  

Chase’s emails led to a notification by the email service provider to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  NCMEC notified the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children task force, who in turn notified Homeland Security Investigations in Derby, Vermont.  HSI obtained a search warrant for Chase’s email account, and through its contents and other investigative steps, determined Chase was the likely user of the account.  The email contents revealed Chase had distributed the child pornography of the 10-year-old child to others.  Chase also had received additional images of child pornography through his email account.  

HSI’s investigation revealed Chase was living at a residence in Barre, Vermont.  On September 18, 2020, HSI executed a search warrant at Chase’s residence, resulting in the seizure of electronics which were subsequently determined to contain additional child pornography.  The electronic devices also had evidence corroborating that Chase had enticed the 10-year-old victim to send the images.  At the time of the criminal conduct for which Chase was sentenced today, Chase was subject to probationary supervision for a prior conviction for Lewd and Lascivious Conduct in Caledonia County, Vermont related to the sexual abuse of young children.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the coordinated investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Office of the District Attorney of Butler County, Pennsylvania in this matter.  “Online sexual predators who exploit children through deceit and manipulation cause significant harm to the children they victimize.  These criminals may not leave behind physical scars, but they nonetheless leave wakes of trauma, necessitating substantial therapy and support to assist survivors in their recovery.  Once disseminated on the internet, these images are often shared over and over, exacerbating the victimization that these children experience.”

“Chase deceived and coerced a child to obtain exploitative imagery. With our partners on the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children task force, HSI is working to protect our children online and ensure those who seek to prey on them face consequences,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt handled the prosecution.  Chase was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth, Esq.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that on April 19, 2024, Paul Bateman, 47, a citizen of the United Kingdom who previously resided in Laos, was sentenced in the United States District Court following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including the opiates Tapentadol and Tramadol, as well as other drugs that required a prescription. Bateman had been extradited from the United Kingdom to face charges. Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Bateman, who has spent approximately 20 months in custody, to a sentence of time-served, with no supervision to follow, as the defendant is expected to be deported to the United Kingdom upon the completion of his sentence.

Previously sentenced in connection with this case were Bateman’s co-conspirators, Samir Doshi and Rebecca Buckley. In February 2019, following his guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute Schedule IV controlled substances and violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Doshi to time served after Doshi had served about six months in jail. He also was ordered to forfeit $20,000. In September 2020, following her guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, Judge Reiss sentenced Buckley to five years of probation and forfeiture of $349,712.10.

According to court records, between in or about 2015 and in or about August 2019, Paul Bateman worked with others, including Buckley and Doshi, to distribute controlled substances and other prescription drugs over the internet. Bateman was a search engine optimizer (“SEO”) responsible for creating and maintaining websites that offered controlled substances and other drugs for sale. Bateman also took steps to improve the ranking of his websites in response to customer searches. The websites created by Bateman did not ask for or require a prescription prior to the distribution of controlled substances and other drugs.

In or about 2015, Bateman began working with Buckley, who provided customer service and credit card processing for customer orders made through Bateman’s websites. After customers paid Buckley, Buckley sent some of the proceeds to Bateman, typically via wire transfer. Bateman used some of this money to pay suppliers and others while keeping some for himself. The websites that Bateman and Buckley operated sold drugs such as Modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting drug that is a Schedule IV controlled substance, and prescription medications for erectile dysfunction.

Bateman also worked with Samir Doshi. In or about 2016 or 2017, Bateman and Doshi met in Thailand and discussed a business relationship in which Bateman would build websites for Doshi for the sale of Schedule IV controlled substances Tramadol (an opiate pain reliever) and Soma (also known as, Carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant). Doshi provided Bateman with $2,000 to build those websites. After that meeting, Bateman created websites for the sale of Tramadol and Soma. Bateman also received commission payments from Doshi. In or about May 2018, Bateman and Doshi began marketing Tapentadol to customers, including by drafting and sending an email introducing Tapentadol as a product for sale. Tapentadol is an opiate classified as a Schedule II controlled substance.

This investigation was led by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service substantially assisted with Bateman’s extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of law enforcement and stated, “From behind their computer screens, Bateman and his co-conspirators were responsible for distributing dangerous opiates and unregulated, prescription drugs to consumers throughout the United States and across the globe for profit. Some consumers were located in Vermont, and none of the defendants were licensed to prescribe in Vermont. This case demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to halting this conduct and bringing those responsible to justice, even when they are located abroad.”

“Prescription drugs that are smuggled from overseas and are outside the secure supply chain can present a serious health risk to those who use them. The drugs may contain unknown or dangerous ingredients and are manufactured under unknown or unregulated conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando P. McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who traffic in illegal prescription drugs.”

Bateman was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth. Doshi was represented by Mark A. Kaplan, Esq. Buckley was represented by Matthew Hart, Esq. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Andrew C. Gilman and John J. Boscia represented the United States.

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Donald McCandless, 43, formerly of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 42 months’ imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he attempted to rob the Vermont Federal Credit Union in Burlington last June. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered that McCandless serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. McCandless has been detained since he first appeared in federal court last June.

According to court records, McCandless entered VFCU with an object in his pocket, stated he had a bomb, and demanded money.  McCandless then approached a teller window and began punching the plexiglass barrier, knocking items off the counter.  A customer conducting business at the bank grabbed McCandless and began pulling McCandless toward the exit of the bank.  McCandless was given $10 in cash by a patron, and McCandless left the bank.  Burlington Police Officers who responded to a 911 call and alarm at VFCU encountered McCandless on College Street wearing clothing consistent with that described by witnesses of the attempted robbery.  McCandless was found with two $5 bills in his hand, and McCandless reported having been “doing meth” earlier in the day.  At the time of his arrest, McCandless had a nonextraditable arrest warrant issued in Norfolk, Virginia for violating a term of probation imposed as part of his sentence for a 2020 conviction for felony strangulation. In the week prior to the attempted robbery, McCandless had multiple encounters with Burlington and South Burlington Police and was cited by South Burlington Police earlier on the day of the robbery for trespassing onto the Vermont Air National Guard Base with a knife. 

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the quick response and investigation of the Burlington Police Department and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance.  

The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ang. McCandless is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Steven Barth.

Every year, we observe Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (LEAD) on January 9.  On this day, we celebrate and honor our brave men and women in uniform.  Every day, our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe, to combat dangerous crime, and to help preserve the Green Mountain State’s unique beauty and quality of life.  This involves tremendous daily sacrifice on their parts, to be sure, but also on the parts of their families and loved ones, who worry that officers will come home to them safely at shift’s end. 

Consider the case of a young patrol officer, who had recently graduated from the Vermont Police Academy.  Last year, she responded to a domestic violence call on behalf of her local Vermont police department.  When she arrived to the residence – alone, as backup had not yet arrived – she found a badly beaten, bloody, and unconscious woman on the floor.  A man of large stature stood in proximity to her body.  When the newly-minted officer gave commands to the man, he did not comply; instead, he walked over to the unconscious female and continued to beat her with his fist.  Without firing shots or drawing her gun, the female officer subdued the assailant on her own, saving the woman’s life.  This is heroism.  And heroic acts like these are performed by our law enforcement officers every day.  For every dispatch and 911 call to which they respond, they have no idea what danger may await them.  But, in the name of our safety, they always respond and they get there as quickly as they can. 

 

On January 9, take a moment to show support for those who serve and protect.  Send them an email, take them to coffee or lunch, tweet support for them, or just give them a call and say “thank you.”  This is the least we can do to give back to those who dedicate their lives to public protection and run toward danger to keep us safe.  On LEAD and every day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont is deeply grateful to its law enforcement partners at the federal, state, local, and county levels.  We know that none of our cases are possible without your sacrifice and dedication, and we look forward to continuing our work together to promote justice and public safety in 2020. 

As we enter this New Year, it’s also a good time to reflect upon, and raise awareness of, officer wellness issues.  2019 witnessed 228 officer suicides nationwide, up from 172 in 2018.  Three Vermont officers have died by suicide since 2016.  The trauma, stress, and long hours of the job – and harrowing experiences like responses to violent domestics – contribute to these tragic figures.  While there is much we can and should do to address the tragedy, a doubling-down of appreciation and support for officers would be a great and much-needed start.  The Department of Justice recently launched the HERE, HELP, HOPE campaign.  Men and women in uniform, we are “here” for you.  If you wear the uniform, or someone you love wears the uniform, there is “help” – call 1800273TALK or text “blue” to 741741.  Above all, there is always “hope.”

A federal grand jury in San Diego returned a two-count indictment charging former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Russell for fatally shooting Nicholas Bils on May 1, 2020.  Russell is charged with depriving Bils of his right to be free from officers using excessive force and with discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  

The indictment alleges that Russell, while acting as a San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy, shot Bils after Bils had escaped from a California Parks vehicle and was running away from law enforcement officers who were chasing him. Without warning Bils or his fellow officers, Russell fired five shots at Bils, who was unarmed, as he ran away. One or more of the shots hit Bils in the back and caused his death. None of the other officers on scene fired a shot or drew a weapon.

If convicted, Russell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California and Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Seth Askins for the Southern District of California, Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer and Trial Attorney Lia Rettammel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.  

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Debra Bluto, 64, of St. Albans Bay, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges that she defrauded the Social Security Administration.  U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Bluto on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

On October 24, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a four-count indictment charging Bluto with stealing government funds and making false statements to the Social Security Administration.  According to the indictment, Bluto’s grandson began receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits from the government in 2001.  SSI is a special needs-based benefit program designed to provide financial assistance to aged, blind and disabled persons who have little or no income.  The benefits for Bluto’s grandson were paid directly to Debra Bluto as her grandson’s representative payee.

For most of the period between May 2008 and January 2017, Bluto’s grandson was incarcerated following his convictions for serious crimes.  By law, Bluto’s grandson was not entitled to receive SSI benefits during any period of incarceration.  Nonetheless, Bluto continued to receive her grandson’s SSI benefits for the entire time he was in jail.  According to the indictment, in annual reports she had to file with the Social Security Administration, Debra Bluto concealed the fact that her grandson was in prison and falsely claimed that she used all the SSI funds to pay for his care.  In fact, the indictment charges, Debra Bluto converted those illegitimate payments – which totaled approximately $50,000 - to her own benefit.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty.

If convicted, Bluto faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration.

Bluto is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.   The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Mura Kvec, 39, Manix Razmias, 38, and Geto Kvec, 19, all citizens of Romania, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging each of them with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.According to court records, on February 10, 2025, at approximately 12:45 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents were notified of three individuals walking south on Lake Road in Newport Center, Vermont, a road that borders the United States and Canada. Minutes later, a Border Patrol Agent stopped a car with four individuals traveling south on Lake Road and conducted an immigration inspection. In response to the agent’s questions, the driver was determined to be a U.S. citizen. The other passengers, Mura Kvec, Manix Razmias and Geto Kvec, admitted to being citizens of Romania. None of them possessed the necessary documents that would allow them to stay or remain in the United States legally. Under further questioning, the United States Border Patrol determined the three Romanians had entered the United States at a place other than an open port of entry.During their initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 11, 2025, each of the three Romanians entered a guilty plea and received a time-served sentence. They had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment.Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Greg Waples. Karen Shingler, Esq. represented Mura Kvec, Michael Straub, Esq. represented Manix Razmias, and the Office of the Federal Public Defender represented Geto Kvec.

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today William Stenger, 72, of Newport, Vermont, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford in United States District Court in Burlington to a felony count of knowingly and willfully submitting false documents to the Vermont Regional Center (“VRC”) in connection with his involvement in the Jay Peak Biomedical Research Park EB-5 investment project, also called the AnC Vermont project. 

Stenger pleaded guilty to using false documents in a matter within the jurisdiction of a federal agency, namely United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which oversaw the EB-5 program.  According to court records and proceedings, the AnC Vermont project was designed to raise $110 million from 220 immigrant investors in order to construct and operate a biotechnology facility in Newport, Vermont.  EB-5 immigrant investors could qualify for permanent resident status (commonly known as a green card) by investing $500,000 in a commercial enterprise approved by the VRC, which had the authority to approve and monitor EB-5 projects in Vermont, and by USCIS.  In order to obtain a green card, each investor needed to demonstrate to USCIS that his or her investment had created, or would create within a few years, ten jobs.  So, for the AnC Vermont project, it was necessary to demonstrate a plan to create at least 2,200 jobs in a short time frame in order to obtain USCIS approval.  

As described during today’s hearing, according to materials provided to investors, to the VRC, and to USCIS, the AnC Vermont project would include three lines of business:  clean room rentals, sales of stem cell products, and sales of artificial organs.  The financial projections for the project forecasted that the three lines of business would generate over $40 million in revenue within three years, and would generate over $300 million in revenue in six years.  These financial projections impacted both the potential that investors would have their investments repaid, and the predicted number of jobs that the project would create.

In the end of June 2014, Stenger agreed with the VRC to suspend offering and marketing the AnC Vermont project due to the VRC’s concerns about a number of aspects of the project.  Stenger understood that, in order to be permitted to market the AnC Vermont project again, he needed to provide answers to questions the VRC had asked about the financial projections and about the status of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approvals needed for commercialization of the products.  Stenger made a number of submissions to the VRC in an effort to convince the VRC to allow continued marketing of the AnC Vermont project, including a submission on January 9, 2015.  The January 2015 submission addressed, among other things, the AnC Vermont financial projections and the timeline for commercialization of the products. 

 

As to the financial projections, during the plea hearing Stenger admitted that he engaged a third-party consulting firm in October 2014 and asked the consulting firm to conduct a market demand study to analyze the potential market size of the AnC Vermont products and services, if the products and services were developed and FDA approved.  Throughout the rest of 2014, the consulting firm, which spent many hours working on the market demand analysis and had regular update meetings with Stenger and his team, was never asked to review, analyze, or opine on the project’s financial projections.  Instead, the process of working with the consulting firm made clear to Stenger that the AnC Vermont project had no stem cell products, and that the artificial organs either did not exist yet or required updating.  In the waning days of December 2014 and beginning of January 2015, Stenger asked the consulting firm’s project lead to write a letter stating that the AnC Vermont project’s business projections were reasonable.  Although the consulting firm had not assessed the project’s financial projections, the project lead ultimately signed a letter that falsely asserted that, based upon the consulting firm’s market analysis, the financial projections in the AnC Vermont business plan appeared reasonable.  Stenger knew that the consulting firm had not analyzed the financial projections.  Nonetheless, Stenger provided the letter to the VRC as part of the January 9, 2015 package of materials in support of reopening project fundraising. 

 

As to the product commercialization timeline, during today’s hearing Stenger admitted that he knew that each of the three lines of business—clean room rentals, sales of stem cells, and sales of artificial organs—required approvals from the FDA in order to generate revenue.  Stenger also knew that the FDA approval process was potentially a lengthy one, that obtaining FDA approval would require assistance from someone with regulatory expertise, and that no one associated with the AnC Vermont project had communicated with the FDA about any of the AnC Vermont business line ideas since Stenger exchanged letters with the FDA about one of the artificial organs in 2011.  As part of Stenger’s effort to convince the VRC to allow continued marketing of the AnC Vermont project, Stenger caused to be modified a commercialization timeline that he had previously received from co-defendant Alex Choi.  The timeline listed various steps required in order to commercialize the stem cell therapies and artificial organs referenced in the business plan, along with how long each step was expected to take.  In modifying Choi’s timeline, Stenger had the initial year changed from 2012 to 2015, reflecting the delays in the project’s development.  He also had four prominent red boxes, which contained text that read “Need to consult with FDA or experts in FDA’s regulation,” removed from the timeline.  As modified, the timeline downplayed uncertainty and lack of progress on FDA approvals, supporting the narrative that the AnC products would become profitable and create jobs in a short time.  Stenger submitted this modified timeline to VRC as part of the January 9, 2015 set of materials.  In the same submission, Stenger represented to the VRC that he had engaged FDA consultants to assist with the FDA process.  Stenger had the red caveats removed from the timeline without receiving any information from the consultants that might provide further support for the timeline, and without asking the consultants to start any work on the AnC Vermont project.  From 2012 to 2016, approximately 169 investors invested approximately $85 million in the AnC Vermont project, in addition to paying approximately $8 million in “administrative fees.”  Fundraising was never completed, and the AnC Vermont facility was never constructed.  Court records show that over $47 million of AnC Vermont investor funds were paid to Jay Construction Management, a Quiros-controlled company, and almost all of those $47 million were used for purposes unrelated to the AnC Vermont project.

Stenger faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for his knowing and willful submission of false documents to the VRC.  For sentencing, as stated in the plea agreement, the government will offer evidence about Stenger’s broader involvement in the fraud scheme as alleged in other counts of the indictment.  The Court will determine the sentence with reference to the federal sentencing guidelines.  The government has agreed that it will not recommend a fine or forfeiture, but instead will focus on seeking a restitution order for victims.  

Co-defendant Ariel Quiros pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and concealment charges in August 2020 and currently awaits sentencing.  Co-defendant William Kelly pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and concealment charges in July 2021.  Both Quiros and Kelly have agreed to cooperate in the government’s ongoing matters.  Co-defendant Choi remains at large.

Jonathan A. Ophardt, Acting United States Attorney, expresses his gratitude for the outstanding investigation assistance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration, and for the assistance of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and Office of International Affairs.  The prosecutors handling the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Cate and Paul Van de Graaf.  William Stenger is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. and David Williams, Esq.  Ariel Quiros is represented by Neil Taylor, Esq. and Robert Katims, Esq.  William Kelly is represented by Robert Goldstein, Esq. and Mary Kehoe, Esq.

Rutland, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that yesterday, Tyler Hayes, 42, of Bennington, Vermont, was convicted of two charges stemming from his unlawful possession of a homemade bomb, following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Rutland. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante ordered that Hayes remain in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Hayes has been held in custody since his arrest on January 19, 2024.According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a bomb was discovered in Hayes’s former Bennington residence days after he abandoned the property in February of 2023. The property manager contacted law enforcement, who defused the bomb. Witnesses at trial described how Hayes had been discussing and constructing bombs for months, and had offered to trade a bomb for fentanyl. Other witnesses described Hayes making admissions after the bomb was discovered, including that he was “on the run” after a bomb had been found at his residence. An explosives expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that, although the homemade bomb was rudimentary and simplistic (constructed from a combination of a pipe bomb and flammable liquids stored in plastic water bottles), it was nonetheless capable of causing substantial destruction and injury had it been detonated.The jury convicted Hayes of possessing an unregistered destructive device, in violation of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), and of possessing a destructive device while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, in violation of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”). Hayes faces up to 10 years in prison on the NFA violation, and up to 15 years on the GCA violation. The actual sentence will be determined by the judge with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.“Yesterday’s guilty verdict in Rutland reflects not only the investigative skill of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, but also the work of an extraordinary team of prosecutors and support staff from this office,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “The superb organization and presentation of evidence at trial demonstrated not only that Hayes was guilty of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt, but also the extreme danger he presented to the community.” Drescher also thanked the Vermont State Police, whose Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit disabled the bomb, as well as the Bennington Police Department for their assistance in the case.The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Smith and Nicole Cate. Hayes is represented by James Valente, Esq., and Chandler Matson, Esq.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Donald McCandless, 42, of Norfolk, Virginia, was arrested yesterday after he attempted to rob the Vermont Federal Credit Union in Burlington, Vermont.  McCandless was charged today by criminal complaint and will be appearing tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle for his Initial Appearance.  McCandless is currently detained pending his appearance.

According to court records, McCandless is alleged to have entered VFCU with an object in his pocket, stated he had a bomb, and demanded money.  McCandless then approached a teller window and began punching the plexiglass barrier, knocking items off the counter.  A customer conducting business at the bank grabbed McCandless and began pulling McCandless toward the exit of the bank.  McCandless was given $10 in cash by a patron, and McCandless left the bank.  Burlington Police Officers who responded to a 911 call and alarm at VFCU encountered McCandless on College Street wearing clothing consistent with that described by witnesses of the attempted robbery.  McCandless was found with two $5 bills in his hand, and McCandless reported having been “doing meth” earlier in the day.  At the time of his arrest, McCandless had a nonextraditable arrest warrant issued in Norfolk, Virginia for violating a term of probation imposed as part of his sentence for a 2020 conviction for Felony Strangulation. In the week prior to the attempted robbery, McCandless had multiple encounters with Burlington and South Burlington Police and was cited by South Burlington Police earlier on the day of the robbery for trespassing onto the Vermont Air National Guard Base with a knife. 

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the charge against McCandless is merely an accusation and that he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charged offense, McCandless could face up to twenty years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a period of federal supervised release. Any sentence will be formulated through consultation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and consideration of McCandless’s personal history and characteristics. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the quick response and investigation of the Burlington Police Department and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance.  

Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Ang is prosecuting the case for the government. McCandless has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.

 

In a joint press release issued with the U.S. Border Patrol, the United States Attorney Office for the District of Vermont stated that it has charged three persons in connection with a fifteen-person human smuggling attempt in Derby, Vermont. Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, 25, a Honduras citizen, has been charged with transporting illegal aliens inside the United States. As part of the investigation, the U.S. Border Patrol took into custody a total of sixteen illegal aliens, including Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, the alleged driver, who is Honduran. Eleven of the other illegal aliens are Guatemalan citizens and four are Mexican citizens.

According to Court records, in addition to the smuggling charge against Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, two persons were charged with re-entering the United States after previously being removed. Specifically, the United States alleges that Noe Perez-Ramirez, 33, of Mexico, and Alberto Alvarado-Castro, 29, of Mexico both were removed from the United States on multiple prior occasions. In support of its motion for detention, the Government further alleged that Alvarado-Castro has multiple prior felony burglary convictions in the United States.

According to the Border Patrol Agent’s affidavit accompanying the Criminal Complaints, on the evening of October 7, 2017, the U.S. Border Patrol identified a Nissan van, with a license plate not affiliated with any state, making multiple trips from Beebe Road near the Canadian Border to the Four Seasons Motel in Derby, Vermont. Additional Border Patrol agents stationed in the vicinity spotted several male subjects on foot heading south from the border in the same area indicating a possible smuggling attempt.

Just after midnight on October 8, 2017, the Border Patrol pulled the van over in the motel parking lot and questioned the driver. According to the Border Patrol agent’s affidavit, the van was driven by defendant Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, who had no legal status in the United States. The van also contained six passengers, none of whom had legal status in the United States.

According to the Border Patrol agent’s affidavit, the van’s driver, defendant Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, gave the Border Patrol agents the key to his motel room at the Four Seasons and requested that the agents recover his personal items. When Border Patrol agents entered the motel room, they found nine additional persons, none of whom had legal status in the United States.

The complaints filed in this case are accusations only and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado is convicted of transporting illegal aliens, he faces a maximum sentence of five years, potentially for each alien transported, and a $250,000 fine, potentially for each person smuggled. If Noe Perez-Ramirez and Alberto Alvarado-Castro are convicted of re-entry after removal from the United States, they each face a maximum sentence of two years and a $250,000 fine. If convicted the actual sentences of the defendants will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, Noe Perez-Ramirez and Alberto Alvarado-Castro all appeared in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont on October 10, 2017, for an initial appearance. On the Government’s motion for pre-trial detention, Magistrate-Judge John M. Conroy ordered that all three be detained pending trial and remanded them into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

This matter is being investigated by the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. “This case is an excellent example of the dedication and hard work put forth by Border Patrol agents to keep our country and communities safe,” said U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer. “Our agents did an outstanding job thwarting this smuggling attempt.”

The Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting this matter is Joe Perella. Elizabeth Quinn, Esq., of the Federal Public Defender’s Office represents Perez-Alvarado. David Watts, Esq., of Burlington represents Alvarado-Castro. Robert Sussman, Esq., of Burlington represents Perez-Ramirez.