Pressured, feds release fugitives' names

Facing criticism from the public, the U.S. Marshals Service has released the names of dozens of fugitives taken into custody during a six-week sweep in Vermont this spring.

The release also came after pressure from U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., who was concerned about the secret arrests.

The law-enforcement agency faced criticism after an April 17 news conference where officials announced 41 fugitives were arrested in the Green Mountain State during a nationwide effort from March 2 to April 10, but refused to release the names.

The Burlington Free Press filed a public-records request for the names, charges faced and other information about the suspects, but the Marshals Service refused.

The authorities reversed course Wednesday after receiving a pointed letter from Leahy, Vermont's senior senator and the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Records released to the Free Press on Wednesday show 39 people were arrested. Several fugitives were wanted on multiple charges, said David E. Demag, U.S. marshal for Vermont. Of the suspects, 17 fell under the criteria for the nationwide sweep, Operation Violence Reduction, he said.

The initiative targeted fugitives wanted for violent crimes, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, robbery and sexual assault.

Out of the other 22 arrests, 11 were on material witness warrants, the records show.

Demag produced the public records after Leahy sent a letter to U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton in Washington.

Leahy, a former Chittenden County state's attorney, wrote he was concerned by reports that the names of those arrested in Vermont were kept secret from the public.

"As a former prosecutor, I believe this type of basic information should be quickly made public, absent national security concerns or an urgent, ongoing investigative need," Leahy wrote. "The public expects as much, and deserves as much."

He also asked the Marshals Service and other agencies involved in the sweep to review the decision to withhold the names of those arrested.

"The current policy is at odds with traditional notions of open proceedings and public records," Leahy wrote.

Leahy and FBI Director James Comey, who were in Vermont last Friday, both appeared miffed about the secrecy when asked about it by the Burlington Free Press during a wide-ranging news conference.

Leahy told the Free Press he would speak later that day to Demag.

Leahy's office released his letter Wednesday.

By the afternoon, Demag provided the Free Press with a typed list of names of those arrested, ages, along with the charges they face, their hometowns and the locations of their arrests.

Demag said mugshots still would be withheld.

"We wanted the press conference to be about the work we've done," Demag said, "not about this distraction." "We started putting this list together Monday afternoon," he added.

Demag was questioned about withholding the names after the April 17 news conference. He said it was against policy to release the names, ages, charges faced and the location of arrests. He also refused to release the mugshots of those arrested.

The Burlington Free Press filed a formal request April 22 under the federal Freedom of Information Act. William E. Bordley, associate general counsel for the Marshals Service, wrote in a letter to the Free Press that releasing the names of the arrested fugitives and the charges they face would be improper.

"Absent a written release from the subject(s) of your request, your request is denied," Bordley wrote. He wrote that release the information "could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

Asked Wednesday what changed between the FOIA denial and the release of the names, Demag said any time his office receives a request for information, he must forward the request to general counsel.

"That is what they came back with," he said.

Leahy said in his letter to the Marshals Service it was important for taxpayers to see their work.

"I also believe that Vermonters, and the American public, benefit from seeing what the Marshals do to keep our communities safe."

List of persons arrested

The following information was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service:

Operation Violence Reduction Warrants cleared March 2-April 10

1. Daniel Bissonnette, 49, of Essex arrested in Essex on charges of aggravated assault.

2. Paul Brown, 30, of Burlington located in a New Hampshire prison, detainer filed. Wanted on charges for heroin sale.

**3. Elysia Conley, 27, of Concord, arrested in Bradford on charges of heroin sale.

4. Gerson Counou, 36, of Canada, arrested in Champlain, New York, on charges of abduction.

**5. Andrew Dillingham, 31, of Chester, arrested in Chester for violating a supervised release for an underlying conviction for robbery.

**6. Tina Francis, 35, of Winooski, arrested in Winooski on heroin/cocaine charges.

**7. Nathan Giffin, 29, of Montpelier located in prison, detainer filed.

**8. Jenna Gonyo, 29, of Fairfax, arrested in Bradford on charges of a pre-trial violation on a heroin charge.

9. Christina Krauss, 30, of Winooski, arrested in Burlington on charges of narcotics and a warrant for felony identity theft, felony forgery, two counts of buy/sell/receive stolen property, three counts of false pretenses/tokens, larceny and fraud.

10. Thomas Lafayette, 45, of Winooski, arrested in Winooski on charges of an escape warrant (burglary, aggravated operating without owners consent, escape, violation abuse prevention order and driving while license suspended.

**11. Christopher Lagasse, 49, of Montpelier, arrested in Montpelier for violating a supervised release for sexual assault on a minor and narcotics charges.

**12. Sherri Loso, 51, of Winooski, arrested in Winooski on heroin/cocaine charges.

13. Robert Miller, 62, of Barre, arrested in Barre on charges of sexual assault.

**14. Craig Nugent, 38, of Rutland, arrested in St. Albans on heroin charges.

15. Autumn Saglimbeni, 29, of New York, arrested in Saratoga, New York for escape following earlier arrests for two counts of possession of cocaine and two counts of escape.

16. Jesse Ware, 21, of Hartford, arrested in Hartford on charges of narcotics, dangerous drugs and eluding police.

17. Nicole Worthen, 23, of Winooski, arrested in Winooski on narcotics charges.

Non Operation Violence Reduction Warrants cleared March 2-April 10

1. Delcio Alves de Souza, 48, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**2. Sharif Cargo, 25, of New York, arrested in Maine on heroin charges.

**3. Gary Delima, 26, of New York, arrested in Maine on heroin charges.

**4. Lucas De Souza, 23, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**5. Jose De Souza-Zilli, 35, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**6. Antonio Delfino, 44, of Maryland, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**7. Myrcea Dias, 38, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**8. Zenilda Dos Santos Delfino, 43, of Maryland, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**9. Randi Durkin, 27, of Burlington arrested in Burlington on heroin charges.

10. Christopher Forkey-Lawrence, 29, of Pittsford, arrested in Rutland for one count of burglary and a probation violation for underlying convictions for theft, two counts of attempting to elude and burglary.

**11. Jaqueline Franco-Rodrigues, 35, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

12. Mark Higgins, 43, of Massachusetts, arrested in Newport on fraud charges.

**13. Katherine Moeckel, 35, of Rutland, arrested in Rutland for a pre-trial violation of an underlying cocaine charge.

**14. Steven Griffin, 59, of New Hampshire, arrested in Burlington on fraud charges.

**15. Ricardo Inacio, 47, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**16. Elias Lopez-Ulloa, 36, of Mexico, arrested in Burlington on charges of illegal entry.

**17. Roberta Rocha Silva, 27, of Massachussetts, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**18. Alzira Rodriguez-Docarmo, 54, of Brazil, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**19. Jean Soijeune, 34, of Canada, arrested in Highgate on charges of alien smuggling.

20. Ashley Thibault, 29, of Colchester, arrested in Winooski on narcotics charges.

**21. Evaldir Viola, 37, of Massachusetts, picked up in Burlington on a material witness warrant.

**22. Stefan Williams, 19, of New York, arrested in New York on heroin charges.

**Federal warrants cleared

Staff Writer Mike Donoghue contributed to this story. Contact Haley Dover at 660-1850 or hdover@freepressmedia.com. Follow Haley on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HaleyRDover.