Cambridge Pharmacy Robber Indicted

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Friday Russell John Thaxton, 48, of Morrisville, was presented in United States District Court for arraignment on an indictment charging him with pharmacy robbery. Thaxton entered a not guilty plea. United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy granted the government=s motion to detain Thaxton pending trial.

According to court records, on August 29, 2013, Vermont State Police (VSP) responded to a reported robbery at the Kinney Drug pharmacy in Cambridge. After obtaining statements from store employees and customers, VSP stopped a vehicle matching the description provided by the witnesses and arrested Russell John Thaxton, 48, and Jennifer Stancliff, 30, both of Morrisville, and Amanda Tetreault, 31, of Eden. Lamoille County State=s Attorney charged all three in state court. After further investigation by VSP and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), on December 5, 2013, a federal grand jury indicted Thaxton for robbing the pharmacy of controlled substances valued at more than $500.

If convicted of the crime charged in the indictment, Thaxton faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Any actual sentence will be determined by the sentencing court in accordance with the advisory federal sentencing guidelines and federal law. United States Attorney Tristram J. Coffin cautioned that Thaxton is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

U.S. Attorney Coffin commended the investigation by VSP and DEA, and thanked State=s Attorney Page for his cooperation. Thaxton is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan.