This story by Susan Smallheer was published by the Brattleboro Reformer on Oct. 25.
[B]RATTLEBORO — A Londonderry man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than a dozen charges stemming from an alleged burglary spree that occurred over three years, from 2015 to 2018.
Travis Despain, 27, had been named as a suspect in 99 different crimes last month by the Vermont State Police, crimes that occurred in three different counties and jurisdictions: Windham, Bennington and Windsor counties. He was charged with 12 counts of burglary, two counts of unlawful mischief and one count of operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
According to court records, Despain and his girlfriend, who has not yet been charged, burglarized dozens of locations in the Londonderry area, including several different town offices, post offices, a town library, occupied homes, dozens of businesses and even former employers.
Among the places police say the pair burglarized was the Londonderry Hardware Store, the Londonderry Post Office, homes on No Name Road, Hell’s Peak and Hobart Road, The Milk House, Sigda Lumber, Cowle’s Garage, Napa Auto Parts, the Londonderry Congregational Church, Magic Mountain Ski Area, the Windham Elementary School, and Coleman’s Garage in Jamaica.
Other burglaries occurred in Winhall and Weston.
The girlfriend told police that they used the cash and items they took in the burglaries to buy heroin, and that the couple used between 20 to 40 bags of heroin on a daily basis. Police calculated that would amount to $110,000 a year.
According to court records, both Despain and the girlfriend were in rehabilitation at some points during the crime spree, and that Despain was in prison for most of 2017.
Police said the pair are believed to have committed a total of 60 burglaries and stole thousands of dollars of cash and coin, as well as valuables they later sold to finance their opiate habit.
Vermont State Police Sgt. Ryan Wood, who investigated most of the cases, noted that when Despain was in jail, the number of burglaries in the Londonderry area had dropped off significantly.
Windham County State’s Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver said it was possible that the cases in Windsor and Bennington counties against Despain would eventually be consolidated in Windham County court. She declined to say why Despain’s girlfriend, who admitted to police that she was involved with most of the burglaries, had not been charged.
Retired Windham Superior Court Judge John Wesley, who was filling in at Windham criminal court on Tuesday, released Despain on conditions, including that he have no contact with any of the businesses he is alleged to have burglarized, and not to harass or abuse the owners of the businesses. He was also banned from going on the land or premises of the businesses and homes he is alleged to have burglarized. He was also ordered not to commitment another criminal offense.
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