State police are looking at whether a string of Northeast Kingdom robberies in recent months are connected.
The five armed robberies occurred in Barton and North Troy between December and April and included two banks, according to Vermont State Police. There was one armed robbery each month during that span.
Detectives are now investigating possible links among any of the cases.
No one has been injured in any of the robberies, but they have cast a shadow over Barton, and became a talking point in failed contract negotiations between town officials and the local sheriff’s department during the winter.
Vermont State Police troopers described the five incidents as follows:
Dec. 1 — At about 9:15 p.m., a masked man entered the Family Dollar on Main Street in Orleans, a village in Barton, displayed a weapon and demanded money. He left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and was seen heading toward South Avenue. Investigators described the man as thin, white, about 6 feet tall and wearing a dark sweatshirt and black pants.
Jan. 7 — A man entered the Subway restaurant on Railroad Avenue in Orleans at about 6:10 p.m., claiming he had a firearm before demanding money from the register. He took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register and fled toward South Street. He was described as tall and thin and appeared to be wearing a wig, with a mask covering his face.
Feb. 4 — Troopers were alerted to another robbery around 6 p.m., this time at the TD Bank on Main Street in Barton. A man threatened to use a weapon if the bank tellers didn’t hand over money. He took an undisclosed amount of cash and left on foot, heading north on Main Street. The man was described as standing between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches, likely white, with an average build.
March 30 — A man walked inside the Dollar General on Main Street in North Troy at about 9 p.m., displayed a weapon, then demanded money. But he fled the building without being given any cash by the clerk. He was described as a tall, skinny white man about 6 feet tall.
April 19 — Troopers responded to another bank robbery in Barton shortly after 3 p.m. A man in dark clothing had brandished a gun inside the North Country Federal Credit Union on Main Street in Orleans. He then fled down Maple Street before stealing a bicycle and being picked up by a vehicle on River Road. Troopers said the vehicle then headed north. That man was described as white, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a slender build.
Surveillance cameras captured images of four of the suspects, according to troopers. In the December case, troopers have released only an image of a maroon SUV they said was used in the robbery.
Detectives ask that anyone who has information about any of the incidents or was in the area when they occurred to call the Derby barracks at 802-334-8881 or submit a tip online.
Orleans County Sheriff’s Department deputies had patrolled Barton until the end of December. But negotiations between Sheriff Jennifer Harlow and the Barton Selectboard soured in January, and the two sides have since split.
Harlow had proposed a rate increase, but board members weren’t keen on the idea. During contract talks, board chair Ken Mitchell-Eby argued that regular patrols would discourage crime and cited recent robberies as incidents that might have been prevented.
Board member Lenny Zenonos said on Monday that the town hasn’t contracted with any agency for added patrols, but he praised troopers’ recent presence in the community.
