ADDISON COUNTY — Troopers working out of the New Haven barracks participated with other Vermont State Police on April 4 in a coordinated statewide arrest warrant sweep.
A total of 65 people were arrested statewide — five in Addison County. All of these individuals have pending criminal charges in Superior Court (felonies and misdemeanors) and failed to uphold their court obligations, which resulted in warrants being issued for their arrest, according to VSP Capt. Michael Manley.
Troopers from all ten Vermont State Police field stations were joined by local police officers, county sheriffs, game wardens, Department of Motor Vehicle officers, and federal law enforcement to make the arrests.
Those arrested locally in this sweep were
Wayne Hutchins, 63, Salisbury; Timothy J. Williams, 28, Bridport; Reginald Mongeur, 31, Granville; Jason Bradley, 32, Salisbury; and Terrance W. Derrick, 57, Middlebury.
Mongeur’s case was perhaps the most interesting of the local arrests. State police located Mongeur, who was wanted for escape by the Vermont Department of Corrections, at his residence in Granville. The troopers took him to the Marble Valley Regional Correction Facility in Rutland, where he was returned to the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Williams, the Bridport resident, was located in St. Johnsbury and lodged at Northeast Regional Correction Facility there.
“Individuals who commit crimes and then fail to appear in court undermine our criminal justice system and erode the quality of life in Vermont,” Public Safety Commissioner Thomas D. Anderson said in a press release. “Law enforcement in Vermont will continue to ensure that those violating Vermont law cannot run or hide from justice before a Vermont court.”
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
•  On April 3 concluded investigation into a March 14 motor vehicle crash on Hawkins Road in Ferrisburgh. Police said they confirmed that 23-year-old Mackenzie Sullivan of North Ferrisburgh was the driver of the Ford truck that crashed into several trees, that he was the only occupant of the truck at the time, and that he had been drinking alcohol before the crash. On April 3 a trooper arrested Sullivan, cited him for driving under the influence, second offense, issued him a traffic ticket for failing to maintain his lane, and released him.
An earlier state police report said that a preliminary breath test showed that Sullivan’s blood alcohol content was 0.124 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. Troopers had also said speed was a factor in the crash, in addition to impairment.
On the night of the crash Sullivan was taken to UVM Medical Center for treatment of for cuts, bruises and a suspected fractured neck.
•  On April 4 were actively investigating a complaint that a driver may have displayed a firearm to another motorist, and at a little before 3 p.m. stopped the suspect vehicle on East Main Street in East Middlebury. Police did not find a firearm in the car, but they said the driver, identified as Jeffrey Kramer, 26, of Middlebury, showed signs of impairment. The trooper screened Kramer for driving under the influence, and he refused a preliminary breath test. Police took Kramer into custody, transported him to the New Haven state police barracks for processing, and cited him for driving under the influence of drugs.
•  On April 7 at approximately 10:12 p.m. raided a reported underage drinking party at a home on Meehan Road in Bristol. Troopers alleged that Harley Allen, 18, of Bristol hosted a large gathering and supplied alcohol to minors. Police issued Court Diversion paperwork to 12 individuals who were under the age of 21.
Nobody was hurt or injured, however the Bristol Rescue Squad screened one youngster as a precaution.
Police cited Allen for furnishing alcohol to a minor.
• On April 9 at approximately 12:41 a.m. stopped a motor on Monkton Road in Monkton after observing several traffic infractions. Police said the driver, identified as John Tynan, 59, of North Hero provided a preliminary sample of his breath, which showed a blood alcohol content of 0.095 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. Police cited Tynan for driving under the influence.
•  On April 10 at around 8:15 a.m. responded to Main Road in Huntington for the report of a vehicle that went off the road and struck several mailboxes. State Police said that their investigation showed that John B. Thomas-Squire, 60, of Starksboro was distracted, lost control of his car, and traveled off the road and struck two mailbox posts as well as four mailboxes.
Neither speed nor impairment were contributing factors to the crash. Thomas-Squire told police he took his eyes off the road to reach for his work I.D. that was hanging from his rear view mirror when he lost control of his car.
The trooper issued Thomas-Squire a ticket for failing to maintain control, and which carries a $220 fine and three points on his insurance.
•  On April 11 at a quarter to 9 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle at the Jiffy Mart on Route 7 in New Haven because it had an expired inspection sticker. Police cited the driver, identified as Robert Gratton, 37, of Starksboro, for driving with a criminally suspended license.