Salisbury Man Charged with Possession of a Stolen Firearm

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Scott Clark, 40, of Salisbury, Vermont, was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle after Clark’s indictment for possession of a stolen firearm. Clark was ordered detained pending trial.

According to court records, on September 23, 2022, a concerned citizen, who had observed suspicious activity indicative of ongoing burglaries at the Waterhouses Campground in Salisbury, contacted Vermont State Police. The responding trooper encountered Clark and Clark’s female companion at the Waterhouses Campground and in the vicinity of a white Jeep Liberty. Clark gave the trooper the false name “Nathan Clark” and also a false date of birth.  During the encounter, Clark was observed putting something in his female companion’s purse and then dropping a black holster to the ground. The companion’s purse was inspected by the trooper and sitting on top of the purse was a black Glock .40 semi-automatic handgun. Records from a local firearm store confirmed the firearm found in the purse was originally purchased by an individual who owns a residence at the Waterhouses Campground. The investigation revealed that Clark had been burglarizing residences at the campground, and while doing so, had stolen the Glock .40 handgun from one of the residences. A subsequent search of the Jeep Liberty revealed additional stolen property, including a spare .40 caliber magazine and box of .40 caliber ammunition which was reported by a campground resident as having been stored with the Glock prior to the burglary. 

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Clark remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Clark faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 
 
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Clark is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.