North Troy - page 2

NORTH TROY — Authorities say Cedrick Bourgault-Morin, 21, of Quebec, Canada has been charged by a criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute 182 pounds of Aprazolam, commonly known as Xanax.

According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on January 13, 2016, U.S. Border Patrol received notification of activity on the railroad tracks which lead from the international border into the village of North Troy.

This area is known to be used by smuggling organizations to smuggle people and goods into the United States. Three agents responded to the area. One agent tracked footprints in the snow from the border, while two others positioned themselves south of the suspected smuggler.

The southern agents observed Bourgault-Morin wearing white camouflage clothing, and walking on the tracks.

Bourgault-Morin was pulling a sled behind him, loaded with a large object wrapped in white camouflage. As Bourgault-Morin began to conceal the sled and its contents with snow, all three agents approached him, apprehended him, and seized the contents of the sled.

The agents discovered a large duffle bag on the sled. Upon further inspection at the Newport Station, the agents discovered the duffle to contain approximately 300 vacuum-sealed plastic bags containing pills. The pills bear markings consistent with those used to identify Xanax, which is a brand name for Aprazolam.

Aprazolam is a benzodiazepine class of psychoactive drug typically prescribed as an anti-anxiety medication. The 300 bags of pills weighed approximately 182 pounds, and have a value of approximately $1.6 million.

If convicted, Bourgault-Morin faces a maximum of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

“This is a great example of some of the training and unique skills our agents use to perform their border security mission,” said U.S. Border Patrol Agent-in-Charge Fernando Beltran. “I commend these agents for their continued vigilance in tracking criminals, and for seizing harmful drugs before they get into our communities.”

NEWPORT — Police say a 19-year-old man from North Troy is okay after a bad car crash that happened yesterday morning in Newport.

The single-vehicle accident took place on Tuesday at around 10 a.m., on Vermont Route 100 near Wheeler Corner Road.

Police say Cody Putvain, 19, of North Troy, was alone in his vehicle headed south when he traveled off the roadway down a steep embankment. He struck a tree, and continued on.

The vehicle traveled about another 300 feet through a property that is located at the end of Wheeler Corner Road, and into the trees before it finally stopped.

Because of the pitch of the embankment, the passenger’s side of the vehicle, including the roof, hit the tree and caused major damage, totaling the 2001 Chevy Impala.

Putvain was transported to North Country Hospital.

They also say that there were several witnesses, and the crash is still under investigation.

NEWPORT — Three of the four men who were arrested after an attempted burglary at the East Main General Store in Newport were in court on Tuesday. All three pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, while one of the accused has not yet been arraigned. All four men are from North Troy.

John Libbey, 42, and Herbert Jacobs, 63, were charged with burglary, possession of burglar’s tools and unlawful mischief. Jacobs pleaded not guilty and was released on $5,000 bond.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Libbey was not arraigned, but is being held on an existing 15-year sentence. He is expected to answer to the charges against him soon.

Kenneth Carriero, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charge of aiding in the commission of a felony. He was released on $10,000 bond.

Christopher Carriero, 44, also pleaded not guilty to the charge of providing a false report to authorities.

The attempted burglary took place at about 1:30 a.m. and was caught on surveillance video, Newport Police Sergeant Charles Moulton said in an affidavit. Two masked figures were seen inside the store near the cash register and ATM machine, and the soundtrack picked up banging noises, later identified as the sound of them trying to pry open the ATM machine.

The affidavit states that clothing worn by the two is clearly visible in the recording. The video also captured a car driving by and honking its horn before the two individuals fled.

A witness who called police during the crime told police that a dark colored Saab had honked its horn before he saw the men run out of the store, and he believed that it was involved in the crime.

A 2003 black Saab was stopped shortly after the crime, with the four suspects inside. The affidavit states that Christopher Carriero was driving, with his brother riding up front, and Libbey and Jacobs in the back seat.

Carriero refused police permission to search the vehicle, but police obtained a search warrant the following day.

The affidavit goes on to say that inside the vehicle clothing and gloves matching those seen in the surveillance video were found, along with crowbars and pry bars.

The affidavit lists other evidence from the investigation leading to the arrest of the four men charged in the crime, including the fact that Libbey had tampered with a GPS monitor he was wearing as part of his probation on the night of the burglary.

Libby is the suspect in other area burglaries, and Moulton wrote in the affidavit that during each burglary there was tampering with his GPS locator.

NEWPORT — Days before turning 7 months old, baby Zakeyah was on the verge of learning to crawl. She was a healthy, vibrant, beautiful baby girl from North Troy. All of a sudden, she developed a high fever and refused to eat.

Two days later she was diagnosed with a severe case of Pneumococcal Meningits and Septicaemia, both life threatening diseases.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. Most severe cases are caused by Pneumococcal bacteria.

Pneumococcal meningitis occurs when the bacteria that have invaded the bloodstream move across to infect the “meninges,” the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. The meninges are filled with a liquid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is there to bathe the brain and cushion it against physical damage. Bacteria can multiply freely in CSF, and there they release poisons, causing inflammation and swelling in the meninges and the brain tissue itself.

After the diagnosis Zakeyah was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She was in an induced coma. Those who love her most have been unable to hold her as she starts her road to recovery. The family has been told that hospitalization could be for an extended period of time.

Her mother and father, Kassandra and Tyshon Ferguson, have been by her side the whole time, while the grandparents help take care of her twin sister, and four-year-old brother.

Tests are showing that her brain has been injured, and as of Thursday, Zakeyah is in critical but stable condition at Fletcher Allen Hospital. The family was informed that she is having nearly constant subclinical seizures due to neurological damage to her brain.

Doctors will be trying another medication to see if they can get this under control. Until then, Zakeyah remains on a ventilator with a feeding tube.

The family is hopeful doctors will be able to lower the dose of medicine so she can start to wake up.

After starting a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the family, the community has rallied behind the cause, raising over $3,800 in just one day. An outpouring of support has been shown to this local family while they face this struggle.

If you are able, please visit the GoFundMe page created for baby Zakeyah, where you can donate money to help the family. You can also find there updates as to her condition.

NEWPORT — A Newport Center man who was tasered by police and arrested on June 7, pled innocent on Tuesday to felony charges of disorderly conduct by fighting, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault with a weapon.

Troy Guertin, 29, appeared in court on Tuesday to answer the charges relating to an incident that took place at an annual pig roast in North Troy. Guertin is accused of stabbing the party host in the finger.

Four police officers arrived at the scene of the incident late Saturday night.

According to an affidavit by Trooper Debra Munson, they spoke with the host of the party, Curtis Laramee, who said that earlier he heard Guertin quarreling with another guest. He approached the two arguing men, and told them that he didn’t want any fighting at the event. According to the affidavit, at one point, Guertin was asked to leave, and he grabbed something from out of the waist of his pants, and jabbed it toward Laramee.

Laramee held out his hand to block the movement, and stated that he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He suffered a half, to one inch cut on his ring finger.

When officers went to Guertin’s home to question him about the incident, he denied the stabbing charge.

In an affidavit by Deputy Sheriff Tyler Jacobs, Guertin is reported to have became upset during the conversation with police, and made several “bluff charges” toward Jacobs, and trooper Brian Connor. The affidavit states that Guertin made a grab at a flashlight that Connor was holding, causing him to use his taser on Guertin. Officers were then able to get him handcuffed.

In court on Tuesday, Guertin was released by Judge Michael Pratt.