Author Archives: Darren Marcy

MONKTON — Three people have been arrested in connection with a string of burglaries in homes and businesses in Vermont.
State police say the burglaries spanned from Salisbury to Burlington.
They said 32-year-old Royal Palin, of Burlington, was arraigned Nov. 2 and is being held without bail. Mildred Martin, 29, of Burlington, was awaiting arraignment.
Twenty-five-year-old Chad Cook, of Monkton, was arrested Wednesday and had a court appearance scheduled Thursday on charges of burglary, possession and sale of stolen property, and larceny.

BENNINGTON — An Arlington man is facing a felony charge after the mother of his children complained to police in September that he was growing marijuana at the home where the children, who are 1 and 2 years old, were living.
Shane Leland, 22, of Arlington, was arraigned in Bennington criminal court Monday on a felony count of cultivation of more than three marijuana plants. Leland, who pleaded innocent, was released without bail.
In an affidavit, Trooper Lauren Ronan of the Vermont State Police said Neila Yardley, Leland’s ex-girlfriend, had come to the state police barracks in Shaftsbury on Sept. 17 with a marijuana plant. Yardley told police she had pulled it from the ground of Leland’s home at 855 Butternut Gutter in Arlington.
Ronan said Yardley told her she had come from her home in Brattleboro with a stuffed toy for one of the children when she saw the marijuana plant and claimed there were at least 10 more.
According to the affidavit, Yardley said Leland had grown and sold marijuana during their relationship when they lived together.
After getting consent from Leland and his mother, police searched the grounds of the home, also on Sept. 17, and seized 10 plants which weighed about 13.5 grams. Ronan said police also found that Leland had converted a closet in his bedroom to an “indoor grow room.”

WINHALL — A Chester woman was cited by police in the theft of $8,000 to $10,000 in gold and jewels from a house in which she worked, according to Sgt. Thomas Crowe of the Winhall Police Department.
January M. Nelson, 30, of Chester, was cited to be arraigned in Bennington criminal court on a felony count of grand larceny and possession of stolen property.
Crowe said the owner of a Winhall Hollow Road home in Winhall reported the items missing, including a large amount of gold jewelry and precious stones, on Sunday.
Police believe the items were taken Oct. 22 but no one noticed their absence until recently. Continue reading →