ADDISON COUNTY — After distributing surveillance video last week of a couple passing a forged check at a Rutland business, Vermont State Police cited a Middlebury woman and a Rutland man for forging the checks from the First National Bank of Orwell.
State police on April 21 circulated surveillance video from Tops Market in Rutland showing a man and a woman buying groceries. Police asked for the public’s help identifying the individuals, who police alleged were involved in several incidents of forged bank checks between March 31 and April 6, all in the Rutland area. Forged checks in the name of First National Bank of Orwell were used at Rutland’s Tops Market, Victoria’s Secret and Agway. Police said the two suspects forged at least five bank checks totaling approximately $1,300.
The next day, after receiving several tips on the suspects’ identities, troopers arrested 42-year-old Nicole B. Shores of Middlebury, took her to the Rutland state police barracks and cited her for aiding in forged bank checks and uttering forged bank checks. She is due to answer the charges in Rutland Superior Court, criminal division, on June 22.
Two days after that, on April 24, troopers arrested 41-year-old Grover W. Pangburn of Rutland, took him to the Rutland barracks, and cited him for passing forged bank checks, uttering forged bank checks and false pretenses or tokens. He is scheduled to answer the charges in the same court on June 29.
In other recent activity, troopers:
•  On April 21 at around 6:15 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Brandon near the Addison County line for several minor traffic violations. The trooper cited the driver, identified as 41-year-old Jamie K. Mitchell of Salisbury, for driving with a criminally suspended license and possession of heroin. A passenger in the vehicle, identified as 39-year-old Bethany Cabiya of Salisbury, was found to have a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest and was also taken into custody. State police took both Mitchell and Cabiya to the Brandon Police Department for processing. Mitchell was later released with a citation to answer the charges in Rutland Superior Court, criminal division, on June 8, and Cabiya was transported to the Marble Valley Correctional Center and lodged with bail set at $500.
Brandon police assisted with this investigation.
•  On April 24 at approximately 1:51 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Albert Lape Jr., 40, of Brandon on Route 7 in Brandon. Police administered standardized field sobriety tests to Lape and subsequently took him into custody and cited him for DUI, fourth offense, and driving with a criminally suspended license, second offense. After searching Lape police also cited him for possession of a narcotic. Lape was lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Center for lack of $25,000 bail.
•  On April 25 at 3:15 a.m. responded to a report of a family fight on Colorado Circle in Salisbury. State police, assisted by Middlebury police, observed the victim with multiple injuries standing inside the residence; they transported the victim to Porter Hospital to be treated for injuries to the face, neck, arms and legs. State police took Sylvan Boyd, 28, of Salisbury into custody and cited him for first-degree aggravated domestic assault. Boyd was lodged at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility on $50,000 bail. See related story in this edition.
•  On April 25 at around 1:30 p.m. arrested Roland Griffin, 45, of Shoreham for driving with a criminally suspended license on Route 22A in Shoreham and on an arrest warrant from an earlier charge of driving with a suspended license. Griffin was lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Center with bail set at $500.
•  On April 25 at 1:50 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven on Route 22A in Shoreham by Clark Easter, 54, of Addison for a defective brake light. Police said tests at the time of processing showed that Easter’s blood alcohol content was a 0.138 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. The trooper cited Easter for driving under the influence, third offense, and driving with a criminally suspended license.
•  On April 25 at 5:50 p.m. attempted to stop a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Christopher Shores of Middlebury for an invalid state inspection sticker when the Shores attempted to avoid the state police. Police reported that Shores pulled into a private driveway off River Road in New Haven and switched seats with his female passenger. Investigation showed that Shores’ license had been criminally suspended and the invalid inspection sticker belonged to another vehicle. Police arrested Shores, seized the plates and invalid state inspection sticker, and had the vehicle towed.
After Shores was booked at the state police barracks in New Haven, a relative arrived to give him a ride and police said the relative who was driving had a license that had expired in January. The relative was issued a ticket and the vehicle was grounded at the barracks.
•  On April 26 at 10:19 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven by 39-year-old Raj Bhakta of Shoreham on North Orwell Road in Shoreham for speeding. The trooper reported that during the stop he found that Bhakta was under the influence of alcohol. Bhakta did not submit to any breath tests. He was processed at the New Haven state police barracks and cited for driving under the influence.
•  On April 27 were called to investigate the second burglary this month at Dakin Farm on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. Police reported that someone forced their way into the business through a window sometime between 2:30 and 6:30 a.m. this past Monday and stole money. That followed a similar incident on the previous Monday. Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to contact the state police at 388-4919. Information can also be submitted online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS.
•  On April 27 at approximately 12:32 p.m. received a report that a tractor-trailer had gone off the road on Route 30 at Cider Mill Road in Cornwall. Troopers found that a tractor-trailer from Everlast Roofing, with a 35,000-pound load of metal roofing, was off the roadway but still blocking both lanes of travel. Apparently the driver, identified as Carlos DeJesus, 28, of Reading, Pa., was attempting to turn around at the intersection when he backed across both lanes of the highway dropping the rear wheels of his trailer off the pavement, causing the trailer’s undercarriage to become lodged on the asphalt. A heavy wrecker came and pulled the truck back onto the road, and DeJesus was able to drive the truck from the scene. VTrans and the Middlebury Department of Public Works responded to requests for assistance and used signs and a message board to indicate the roadway was closed.
The Vermont State Police will be conducting sobriety and safety checkpoints between May 1 and May 7. Troopers will focus on removing impaired drivers from the roadways, seatbelt enforcement, child restraint, cell phone usage, and all other motor vehicle laws during this time. All motorists are encouraged to use a designated driver when necessary and to always wear a seatbelt.