October 22, 2007
CHRISTOPHER ADAMS SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN
BACKWARD-BANDIT ROBBERIES
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Christopher Adams, 27, of Burlington, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 30 months of imprisonment for his role in two of the so-called “backward-bandit” convenience store robberies that occurred this past winter. Chief U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered that Adams serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term and pay restitution totaling $2160. Adams has been in jail on these charges since early June.
In the past several months, Adams, Matthew Maskell, Ashley Penniman and Gerald LaFlam have all pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and robbery charges based on their involvement in the gun-point robberies of the Hinesburg General Store on January 22, 2007; the Lucky Spot Variety Store in Richmond on January 25, 2007; the Champlain Farms Store in Colchester on January 28, 2007; the Chittenden Mills Beverage Store in Jericho on January 29, 2007; and the Jerusalem Country Store in Starksboro on February 3, 2007. Under the federal Hobbs Act, it is a violation of federal law for an individual to engage in a robbery which delays, obstructs or affects interstate commerce, or to conspire to do so. Adams participated in the Colchester and Jericho robberies, on both occasions driving Maskell to and from the crime scene. Adams purchased drugs with the proceeds of the robberies, which he shared with his accomplices.
Penniman, LaFlam and Maskell are scheduled to be sentenced early next year.
United States Attorney Thomas D. Anderson commends the cooperative effort of several law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of these robberies, including the Burlington resident agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Vermont State Police; the Hinesburg Community Police Department; the Colchester Police Department; and the Chittenden County State’s Attorneys Office.
Adams is represented by Ernest M. Allen III. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Waples
