Federal law enforcement officials have accused a Center Rutland man of robbing a Wallingford Cumberland Farms at knifepoint and indicate that he is a suspect in a series of similar armed robberies at convenience stores, including in Shoreham, Brandon and possibly Middlebury.

The Office of the United States Attorney for Vermont announced that 31-year-old Joey Miles Sherwood had been arrested on Monday for the Aug. 1 knifepoint robbery of the Cumberland Farms store in Wallingford. Sherwood appeared by a video link from jail at a Tuesday afternoon hearing before U.S Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle for an initial hearing on the charge of Interference with commerce by robbery. The hearing started but was put on hold until Friday, and Sherwood is being held in jail until trial.

According to court records, on Aug. Sherwood is alleged to have entered the Wallingford convenience store, retrieved a soda from a drink cooler, approached the cashier, and asked for two packs of cigarettes. As the cashier rang up the sale, Sherwood allegedly produced a knife and demanded money. The robbery netted $156 in cash, and $21 in merchandise.

Sherwood is the suspect in five additional knifepoint robberies of convenience stores in Rutland and Addison counties that occurred in July and August.

According to the Time Argus and correspondent Mike Donoghue, a state police detective said Sherwood matches the description of the armed assailant in robberies at Mac’s Convenience Store on South Main Street in Rutland on July 5 and 16, at the Maplefields Mobil in Pittsford (Aug. 1), and at the Shoreham Service Center (Aug. 21) and Union Street Grocery (Aug. 22).

A similar robbery took place in Middlebury on Aug. 9, when a man robbed the Jolley Shortstop gas station on Court Street Extension at knifepoint just before midnight and left with a small amount of cash and several packs of cigarettes.

Middlebury Police Chief Tom Hanley said his department could not confirm the connection sufficiently to make an arrest, but that Middlebury PD were working with the FBI and Vermont State Police on the case.

This week’s court appearance was not Sherwood’s first brush with the law. The U.S. Attorney’s office said that he has multiple criminal cases pending but was released from jail with conditions. He faces charges for felonious sexual assault in New Hampshire in 2020,  burglary and possession of stolen property in Rutland County in March of this year, and for a May arrest in Addison County for aiding in the commission of a burglary.

The Times Argus reported that Brandon police arrested Sherwood on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, eluding law enforcement and speeding.

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

If convicted of Wallingford robbery Sherwood could face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a period of federal supervised release.