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Law Enforcement
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Law Enforcement / U.S. Politics Biden Nominates Prosecutor to Lead Vermont U.S. Attorney's Office
Posted
By Derek Brouwer
on Tue, Sep 28, 2021 at 10:53 AM
President Joe Biden has selected a longtime federal prosecutor to head the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont.
Nikolas Kerest, who has worked in the office since 2010, is the nominee, the White House announced Tuesday. The post is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Kerest would replace Christina Nolan, a president Donald Trump appointee, who resigned in February as part of the presidential transition. Jonathan Ophardt has been serving as acting U.S. Attorney.
Kerest is currently an assistant attorney in the office's criminal division. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant attorney in the civil division from 2010 to 2014, and as the civil division chief from 2014 to 2019. Kerest was also the office's civil rights coordinator for several years.
Nikolas Kerest, who has worked in the office since 2010, is the nominee, the White House announced Tuesday. The post is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Kerest would replace Christina Nolan, a president Donald Trump appointee, who resigned in February as part of the presidential transition. Jonathan Ophardt has been serving as acting U.S. Attorney.
Kerest is currently an assistant attorney in the office's criminal division. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant attorney in the civil division from 2010 to 2014, and as the civil division chief from 2014 to 2019. Kerest was also the office's civil rights coordinator for several years.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Immigration / Law Enforcement Vermont Supreme Court Deals Blow to Border Agents' Roving Patrols
Posted
By Derek Brouwer
on Fri, Sep 24, 2021 at 3:36 PM
Border patrol officers can search Vermonters' cars without a warrant under their special federal authority to conduct "roving" patrols within 100 miles of the U.S. border. But, as of Friday, evidence they collect during the controversial searches can no longer be used to prosecute crimes in state courts, a narrow majority of the Vermont Supreme Court ruled.
Civil liberties advocates, as well as the Vermont Attorney General's Office, celebrated the 3-2 decision as a significant check on U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's broad enforcement authority throughout most of Vermont.
Civil liberties advocates, as well as the Vermont Attorney General's Office, celebrated the 3-2 decision as a significant check on U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's broad enforcement authority throughout most of Vermont.
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Burlington / Law Enforcement Burlington Police Chief Requests Coronavirus Relief Funds to Pay Officer Bonuses
Posted
By Courtney Lamdin
on Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 8:08 PM
Updated on September 24, 2021.
Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad wants to use up to $1.27 million of the city's federal coronavirus recovery funds for bonuses to retain and recruit police officers.
The department roster has shrunk from 92 officers in June 2020 to 68 now — "an unprecedented rate of decline," Murad wrote in a memo to city councilors, who will consider the funding request at their meeting Monday. Only 65 officers are "deployable" as two are on a military deployment and another has an injury and is performing administrative duties, the memo says.
"Staffing shortages, increased overtime, and officer exhaustion are negatively affecting community engagement, response times, and the capacity to respond properly to incidents and follow through on casework," Murad wrote. "If staffing diminishes further, it will not only aggravate these conditions but also make it increasingly difficult to train new officers," as well as civilian employees who respond to nonemergency calls.
Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad wants to use up to $1.27 million of the city's federal coronavirus recovery funds for bonuses to retain and recruit police officers.
The department roster has shrunk from 92 officers in June 2020 to 68 now — "an unprecedented rate of decline," Murad wrote in a memo to city councilors, who will consider the funding request at their meeting Monday. Only 65 officers are "deployable" as two are on a military deployment and another has an injury and is performing administrative duties, the memo says.
"Staffing shortages, increased overtime, and officer exhaustion are negatively affecting community engagement, response times, and the capacity to respond properly to incidents and follow through on casework," Murad wrote. "If staffing diminishes further, it will not only aggravate these conditions but also make it increasingly difficult to train new officers," as well as civilian employees who respond to nonemergency calls.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Burlington / Law Enforcement Assessment of Burlington Police Finds Serious Deficiencies, Supports Smaller Force
Posted
By Courtney Lamdin
on Wed, Sep 15, 2021 at 6:20 PM
A long-awaited assessment of police operations in Burlington found that the department needs between 76 and 83 sworn officers — suggesting that the city council’s controversial decision to cut the force to 74 cops last summer wasn't far off target.
The report also found serious deficiencies at the Burlington Police Department, including inefficient staffing schemes, inadequate training, a lack of oversight and evidence of racial bias. It found that the department’s contract with the Burlington Police Officers’ Association is hamstringing operations and certain aspects should be renegotiated. The current contract expires in June 2022.
The consultants found some bright spots in their review of the department, including its plans to hire unarmed civilians to respond to certain calls, the hiring of a social worker and the department's reduction in traffic stops.
The 168-page report, authored by Virginia-based nonprofit CNA, is expected to guide the city’s decisions about policing into the future; the consultants gave recommendations to improve the deficiencies noted in the report. It comes after more than a year of debate over appropriate police staffing levels that was spurred by protests over police uses of force, particularly against people of color.
City officials received the draft report this week, and Seven Days obtained a copy of the document, which has yet to be finalized and released to the public.
“Policing has reached a pivotal point in history,” the report says, noting that many departments nationwide face problems similar to Burlington’s. “In its response to this assessment, BPD has the opportunity to provide leadership in the policing profession regarding how to constructively respond to the current challenges it faces.”
The report also found serious deficiencies at the Burlington Police Department, including inefficient staffing schemes, inadequate training, a lack of oversight and evidence of racial bias. It found that the department’s contract with the Burlington Police Officers’ Association is hamstringing operations and certain aspects should be renegotiated. The current contract expires in June 2022.
The consultants found some bright spots in their review of the department, including its plans to hire unarmed civilians to respond to certain calls, the hiring of a social worker and the department's reduction in traffic stops.
The 168-page report, authored by Virginia-based nonprofit CNA, is expected to guide the city’s decisions about policing into the future; the consultants gave recommendations to improve the deficiencies noted in the report. It comes after more than a year of debate over appropriate police staffing levels that was spurred by protests over police uses of force, particularly against people of color.
City officials received the draft report this week, and Seven Days obtained a copy of the document, which has yet to be finalized and released to the public.
“Policing has reached a pivotal point in history,” the report says, noting that many departments nationwide face problems similar to Burlington’s. “In its response to this assessment, BPD has the opportunity to provide leadership in the policing profession regarding how to constructively respond to the current challenges it faces.”
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Law Enforcement Man Fatally Shot by Rutland Cop in a McDonald's Was Holding a Cellphone
Posted
By Sasha Goldstein
on Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 2:56 PM
A Florida man who last month ran from police in Rutland was holding a cellphone when an officer fatally shot him in a McDonald's bathroom, police said on Thursday.
Jonathan Mansilla, 33, was hit twice in the chest on August 25. He'd allegedly led police on a car chase, then fled a crash and ran into the fast food restaurant bathroom before the shooting, police said.
It took Vermont State Police two weeks to publicly reveal that Mansilla had been unarmed. The agency refused to say until it interviewed Rutland City Police Cpl. Christopher Rose, who fired the shots, VTDigger.org reported last week. Rose, a five-year veteran of the force, "provided a voluntary interview" with state police detectives on Wednesday, the agency said.
Jonathan Mansilla, 33, was hit twice in the chest on August 25. He'd allegedly led police on a car chase, then fled a crash and ran into the fast food restaurant bathroom before the shooting, police said.
It took Vermont State Police two weeks to publicly reveal that Mansilla had been unarmed. The agency refused to say until it interviewed Rutland City Police Cpl. Christopher Rose, who fired the shots, VTDigger.org reported last week. Rose, a five-year veteran of the force, "provided a voluntary interview" with state police detectives on Wednesday, the agency said.
Burlington / Crime / Law Enforcement ACLU Accuses Burlington Officials of Running a 'Campaign of Misinformation'
Posted
By Colin Flanders
on Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 2:35 PM
The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont is accusing Burlington's mayor and top cop of peddling “false narratives” about a Queen City crime spike that is not borne out by data.
In a letter shared with media outlets Thursday, ACLU Vermont general counsel Jay Diaz said that Mayor Miro Weinberger and acting police chief Jon Murad have wrongly blamed recent gunfire incidents on the city council’s decision last year to cut the police department’s staffing. These "scare tactics," Diaz wrote, have misled the public into thinking that Burlington has become a more dangerous place.
“This campaign of misinformation is evidently designed to instill fear, direct more funding to BPD, and undermine the progress the city has made up to this point,” Diaz wrote in the six-page letter, which he addressed to Weinberger. “It is not, however, supported by the facts — including BPD’s own data.”
In a letter shared with media outlets Thursday, ACLU Vermont general counsel Jay Diaz said that Mayor Miro Weinberger and acting police chief Jon Murad have wrongly blamed recent gunfire incidents on the city council’s decision last year to cut the police department’s staffing. These "scare tactics," Diaz wrote, have misled the public into thinking that Burlington has become a more dangerous place.
“This campaign of misinformation is evidently designed to instill fear, direct more funding to BPD, and undermine the progress the city has made up to this point,” Diaz wrote in the six-page letter, which he addressed to Weinberger. “It is not, however, supported by the facts — including BPD’s own data.”
Monday, August 30, 2021
Burlington / Law Enforcement Burlington Paramedics to Keep Race Data After Black Teen Is Given Ketamine
Posted
By Courtney Lamdin
on Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 8:51 PM
The Burlington Fire Department will begin tracking its use of ketamine on patients by race after paramedics administered the drug on a Black 14-year-old while he was in police custody in May.
That incident, which was included in a recent police use-of-force summary report, prompted someone to complain to the Burlington Police Commission. The city council's Public Safety Committee is scheduled to discuss the fire department's new protocol at its meeting on Thursday.
According to records obtained by Seven Days, the Burlington Fire Department has administered ketamine — an anesthetic used to "restrain" patients and manage pain — to 86 patients since 2016. But the department only recorded the subject's race four times in those five years, data show. All of those patients were white and between 35 and 74 years old.
That incident, which was included in a recent police use-of-force summary report, prompted someone to complain to the Burlington Police Commission. The city council's Public Safety Committee is scheduled to discuss the fire department's new protocol at its meeting on Thursday.
According to records obtained by Seven Days, the Burlington Fire Department has administered ketamine — an anesthetic used to "restrain" patients and manage pain — to 86 patients since 2016. But the department only recorded the subject's race four times in those five years, data show. All of those patients were white and between 35 and 74 years old.
Friday, August 27, 2021
Crime / Law Enforcement / News Driver of Scorched Tesla Indicted for Stealing Five Cars
Posted
By Derek Brouwer
on Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 5:59 PM
"Pizza man" wasn't as dumb as they thought.
Local law enforcement reportedly once gave Michael A. Gonzalez the nickname following an unfortunate 2018 encounter in which he was arrested after confusing a uniformed cop for a pizza delivery driver.
But over the course of the following years, the Colchester man pulled off a series of heists of Tesla electric cars worth a combined $607,000, according to a federal indictment unsealed Friday.
One of the vehicles involved ended up a fireball on the frozen surface of Lake Champlain in winter 2019 in a mysterious incident.
Local law enforcement reportedly once gave Michael A. Gonzalez the nickname following an unfortunate 2018 encounter in which he was arrested after confusing a uniformed cop for a pizza delivery driver.
But over the course of the following years, the Colchester man pulled off a series of heists of Tesla electric cars worth a combined $607,000, according to a federal indictment unsealed Friday.
One of the vehicles involved ended up a fireball on the frozen surface of Lake Champlain in winter 2019 in a mysterious incident.
Friday, August 13, 2021
Crime / Law Enforcement / News Stenger Admits to Felony Charge in Plea Deal Over EB-5 Scandal
Posted
By Derek Brouwer
on Fri, Aug 13, 2021 at 4:03 PM
Updated, 5 p.m.
Former Jay Peak president Bill Stenger, whom prosecutors have described as the frontman for a massive EB-5 fraud scheme in the Northeast Kingdom, admitted in federal court Friday that he submitted false documents to regulators.
As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors dropped numerous other fraud charges brought against Stenger in 2019 in exchange for his guilty plea to the single count. The 72-year-old faces up to five years in prison, though his attorney said Friday that he will seek a sentence that does not include any prison time.
He's the third leader of the phony AnC Bio Vermont project to take a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The alleged mastermind of the scheme, Ariel Quiros, faces up to eight years on wire fraud, concealment and money laundering charges, while a third partner, William Kelly, faces up to three years for wire fraud and concealment. A fourth partner, Alex Choi, remains at large.
Former Jay Peak president Bill Stenger, whom prosecutors have described as the frontman for a massive EB-5 fraud scheme in the Northeast Kingdom, admitted in federal court Friday that he submitted false documents to regulators.
As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors dropped numerous other fraud charges brought against Stenger in 2019 in exchange for his guilty plea to the single count. The 72-year-old faces up to five years in prison, though his attorney said Friday that he will seek a sentence that does not include any prison time.
He's the third leader of the phony AnC Bio Vermont project to take a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The alleged mastermind of the scheme, Ariel Quiros, faces up to eight years on wire fraud, concealment and money laundering charges, while a third partner, William Kelly, faces up to three years for wire fraud and concealment. A fourth partner, Alex Choi, remains at large.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Burlington / Labor / Law Enforcement Burlington Councilors Reject Plea to Boost Police Ranks Despite Dire Claims
Posted
By Derek Brouwer
on Tue, Aug 10, 2021 at 2:39 AM
The Progressive caucus of Burlington's City Council defeated a second effort on Monday to reverse its steep cut to city police ranks despite warnings that their decision would doom the department.
A resolution to increase the roster cap to 82 officers, up from the 74-officer limit enacted during historic protests and calls to "defund" the police, failed on a tie vote, with Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1) absent.
The vote came as interim Police Chief Jon Murad, Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger and others contended that the Burlington Police Department is experiencing a free fall in its ranks as demoralized officers flee. Supporters have also pointed to heavily publicized gunfire incidents in recent months as signs that a hamstrung department is less able to keep Queen City residents safe. And a survey conducted by the police officers' union found that roughly half of Burlington cops were actively seeking employment elsewhere.
A resolution to increase the roster cap to 82 officers, up from the 74-officer limit enacted during historic protests and calls to "defund" the police, failed on a tie vote, with Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1) absent.
The vote came as interim Police Chief Jon Murad, Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger and others contended that the Burlington Police Department is experiencing a free fall in its ranks as demoralized officers flee. Supporters have also pointed to heavily publicized gunfire incidents in recent months as signs that a hamstrung department is less able to keep Queen City residents safe. And a survey conducted by the police officers' union found that roughly half of Burlington cops were actively seeking employment elsewhere.
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