A man who was arrested in early October at the Vermont Statehouse after threatening the House speaker was released with several conditions following an arraignment Monday afternoon.
Kyle Wolfe, 34, must not contact House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, nor can he enter the Statehouse premises, according to the conditions of release set by Windsor County Superior Court Judge John Treadwell.
Wolfe was also banned from leaving Rutland County except for legal or medical reasons, and he must not buy, have or use any firearms, according to the conditions.
Wolfe faces misdemeanor charges of aggravated disorderly conduct, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Taken together, they carry a maximum penalty of 605 days in prison and a fine of up to $3,000, according to court documents shared with VTDigger.
Wolfe, who attempted to represent himself from the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, did not enter a plea during the combined virtual and in-person hearing at Windsor Superior Court in White River Junction. Treadwell ordered him to first undergo a court competency evaluation to see if he can represent himself in upcoming proceedings.
In the interim, defense attorney Maggie Vincent was assigned as his counsel.
Vincent argued against the imposition of cash bail, saying her client — who lives by himself in Rutland — has roots in Vermont and is not a flight risk. She said he has successfully completed a 24-day sentence with supervised release in Vermont related to a former federal felony.
Wolfe was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics in 2017 and sentenced to 24 days in prison with 42 months of supervised release. As a result, he’s prohibited from possessing a firearm in Vermont, according to Capitol police officer Marc Poulin’s affidavit.
But Deputy State’s Attorney Alfonso Villegas argued the restrictions were necessary to protect the public because the defendant has made serious threats, including social media posts from May that read, “I have zero problems putting a government official to death based on the severity of the offense” and that the Second Amendment “protects our people from such atrocities as the Holocaust.”
Villegas also said that according to the Brattleboro Retreat, the defendant was not in compliance with his medication and treatment, and made vague, nonspecific threats while he was there.
It was not clear whether Wolfe had been at the Retreat since the Oct. 5 incident at the Statehouse. Following his arrest, he was screened by Washington County Mental Health and admitted to a secure medical facility under a mental health warrant, authorities said at the time.
He attended the first portion of the hearing virtually, but after he told the judge that he did not have access to his charging documents, the hearing was paused, and Wolfe was taken to the White River Junction courthouse.
The state’s allegations were concerning but were not enough to impose cash bail to mitigate the risk of flight, Treadwell said. He agreed to release Wolfe on a list of 11 conditions, which includes following all mental health treatment plans, not harassing or abusing Krowinski and not engaging in “violent, threatening, or tumultuous behavior.”
Vincent requested a one-time exception for the defendant to pick up items such as his car keys and phone from Capitol police at the Statehouse. The judge said he “can arrange for that to occur in a manner that does not require him to go to the Statehouse.”
Wolfe had reportedly called and emailed Krowinski about various issues but became more aggressive in recent months. Krowinski notified Capitol police after emails that referenced “owning a gun, being trained, and wanting to hold people committing treason accountable.”
Police were on alert when Wolfe arrived at the Sergeant-at-Arms’ office in the Statehouse lobby the morning of Oct. 5, demanding to speak to her. He was allegedly yelling and screaming, resisted attempts of police to de-escalate the situation, and tried to flee. Four officers got involved to handcuff him, but no one was injured, according to court documents.
During the altercation, Wolfe referred to a gun in his car. The ensuing search revealed a muzzleloader rifle in the car, although the weapon was not loaded, police said at the time.
Vincent could not be reached for comment following the virtual hearing.
