A judge has denied release for a Brandon man accused of threatening to shoot neighbors and talking about getting into a shootout with police as he awaits trial on a federal firearms charge.
Eric Grenier, 39, made an initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in Burlington, facing an offense of being a felon in possession of firearms.
He has been held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans since Friday, when local and federal authorities seized several guns, including rifles and revolvers, during a raid of his residence on High Pond Road in Brandon.
Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle granted a request Tuesday from Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples, the prosecutor, to continue holding Grenier in custody pending further proceedings.
Grenier has previous felony convictions for burglary and cultivating marijauna, according to court filings.
If convicted of the federal charge against him, Grenier faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Grenier, according to the prosecutor’s filings arguing that he should be held pending trial, repeatedly threatened neighbors in recent weeks on High Pond Road, including neighbor Michael Shank. Shank earlier this month authored a commentary in USA Today stating that he didn’t feel safe in Brandon and would sell his farm and move.
A court filing in the case also included statements from Grenier’s wife from last year in which she said she was afraid to contact authorities to report him because he talked about engaging in a shootout with police if that happened.
Also, the filings stated, neighbors reported to police that Grenier threatened to shoot them during verbal altercations while armed and using racist slurs. Grenier also allegedly spoke about taking sniping positions and shooting them, according to filings.
David McColgin, a federal public defender representing Grenier, argued in court Tuesday for his client’s release. He said Grenier was a lifelong resident of Rutland County with strong family ties to Brandon.
The defense attorney asked the judge to consider releasing Grenier to home detention monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet.
McColgin said Grenier’s wife told him she had withdrawn earlier statements in a police filing that she made about his client talking of engaging in a shootout with authorities, saying she provided them in anger and they were not accurate.
Waples, the prosecutor, pushed Tuesday for Grenier to remain in custody.
“Mr. Grenier, as we stand here today, poses a risk of danger to himself and the community,” Waples said. The prosecutor added that Grenier currently has pending state charges in Rutland County, including burglary and leaving the scene of an accident.
Doyle, the judge, in ordering Grenier held, said the recent cases against him involved allegations of “physically aggressive behavior.”
McColgin, Grenier’s attorney, declined comment on the case following Tuesday’s hearing.
Genier has also been issued citations by Brandon Police on additional state charges, including two counts of criminal threatening, two counts of aggravated disorderly conduct and a charge of simple assault.
An arraignment on those state charges is expected next month.
