Man charged in dozens of Derry area crimes
Press release | Sep 05, 2018 | Comments 4
© 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC
Travis Despain
Vermont State Police say that Travis Despain, 27, burglarized businesses, schools, churches and town offices, as well as homes and second homes in Londonderry, Weston, Windham, Winhall, Jamaica, Andover, South Londonderry, and Peru.
In a press release this morning, VSP estimated that $35,000 in merchandise and personal belongings were stolen and that Despain caused $5,300 in property damages in the break-ins.
Despain was processed for the offenses and issued a citation for 39 counts of burglary, 34 counts of unlawful mischief and 26 counts of larceny. He was ordered to appear in Windham County Criminal Court at a later date. Additional charges are possible as trooper’s are continuing the investigation.
Several of these incidents occurred in Windsor County. A separate citation for those burglaries will be issued at a later date.
The Vermont State Police is attempting to notify the victims of this arrest. Any victims who wish to speak with the State Police regarding these incidents or anyone who has additional information regarding these incidents are asked to contact Sgt. Ryan Wood of the Westminster Barracks at 802-722-4600.
Incident & Victim List:
5/3/15 – The New American Grill
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
5/17/15 – The New American Grill
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
5/24/15 – The Londonderry Hardware Store
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
6/1/15 – US Post Office
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/1/15 – VT Country Store
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
6/1/15 – The Londonderry Hardware Store
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
5/31/15 – Old Lane Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/1/15 – Lake Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/1/15 – Lake Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/2/15 – Old Lane Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/2/15 – Old Lane Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/3/15 – Smith Meadow Road, Winhall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
6/1/15 – Brown Enterprises
Offense: Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
6/3/15- No Name Road, South Londonderry
Offense: Burglary, Larceny
6/5/15 – Hobart Road, Londonderry
Offense: Burglary, Larceny
6/7/15 – Middletown Road, Londonderry
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
6/8/18 – Sigda Lumber
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
6/9/15 – Location: Hells Peak, Londonderry
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
9/30/15 – Windham Elementary School
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/2/15 – Windham Town Hall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
10/06/15 – South Londonderry Town Hall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/10/15 – Fran’s Kitchen
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/10/15 – Meulman’s Craft Drafts
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/12/15 – Floodbrook Elementary Schools
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/13/15 – Windham Elementary School
Offense: Burglary, Larceny
10/13/15 – Windham Mountain School
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/15/15 – Cowles Garden Center
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
10/15/15 – Town of Andover, Town Office
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
10/15/15 – Town of Weston, Town Clerk’s Office
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
10/15/15 – Town of Weston, Town Library
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
10/15/15 – Green Mountain Veterinary Hospital
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
11/30/15 – Town of South Londonderry, Town Hall
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
12/2/15 – Londonderry Napa Auto Parts
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
12/2/15 – Londonderry Congregational Church
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
1/25/17 – Derry Salon
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief
1/30/17 – Magic Mountain Ski Area
Offense: Burglary, Larceny
2/8/17 – Bromley Market
Offense: Burglary x2, Larceny
2/8/17 – Jelley’s Deli
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
4/3/17 – Hells Peak, Londonderry
Offense: Burglary, Unlawful Mischief, Larceny
Filed Under: Andover • Featured • Latest News • Londonderry • Weston • Windham
This guy’s an addict and his career as a burglar is directly linked to his addiction. Addiction to opiates is a chronic illness, which like any other chronic illness, requires treatment if it has any chance of being cured.
So what options does the court have for people in this situation? Jail is one, certainly, but I sure wouldn’t want to be the person responsible for seeing an addict through withdrawal in a prison cell. Release with a notice to appear seems like a, cross your fingers and hope he’s ready to take responsibility for his actions, approach. Given that he’s still got his addiction to feed in the meantime and his income is derived through burglary, it’s not hard to predict where that will lead.
That tells me that there needs to be another option available to the courts for effectively dealing with the many in our state who are in the grips of opiate addiction and that option is court ordered treatment followed by a support system that provides a path to a secure, productive and self sustaining life without drugs. That takes money to implement.
I don’t know what led to this young man’s addiction, but it’s clear that the current opiate crisis has been fueled in large part by big pharma’s push to produce and prescribe addictive “pain management” drugs. Let’s hope the state of Vermont’s move to sue those corporations leads to a windfall settlement that can be earmarked for funding treatment programs and systems to provide those addicts with supported reentry to society. That is the only clear path away from the horror of opiate addiction. Otherwise we’re looking at a revolving door court system that continues to overwhelm our law enforcement resources and force average citizens and business owners to pay for both sides of the issue through taxes and through being victimized by the addicts who will do whatever it takes to ensure their next fix.
He burglarized a post office? Isn’t that a federal crime? Send this bozo off to Danbury.
I agree with Arlene Mutscher; a long list of crimes and a “Notice to Appear”?????
This is why crime is on the rise in VT….
okay? a LONG list of (alleged) crimes and he is given a “NOTICE” to appear? aka a reason to disappear! Do they really think he will stay around to ‘appear’? I feel sorry for the LEO that went through the trouble to arrest him and bring him in only to see him walking around and enjoying life? I guess we dont view breaking and entering and robbing and destroying personal property as a crime worthy of any merit?