Press Releases

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Vermont will receive $3.1 million over the next four years from Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations related to the marketing of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and body powder products that contained talc, which often contained asbestos. Today’s settlement is the result of a four-year, multistate investigation involving 42 other attorneys general. The total nationwide settlement amount is $700 million.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that William Smith, 57, of Sheldon, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Luring a Child.

Attorney General Charity Clark issued the following statement in response to Governor Scott’s veto of H.645, an act relating to the expansion of approaches to restorative justice.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Jason Muxlow, 45, of Westminster, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to three felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that it has filed civil enforcement actions against two Vermont Medicaid providers for fraud. The lawsuits, currently pending in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, Civil Division, were investigated and brought by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) and allege separate violations of the Vermont False Claims Act.

The Attorney General’s Office announced the sentencing of two defendants today in separate cases investigated by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC).

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Stephen O’Keefe, 78, of Barre, Vermont, was arraigned today on five felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and Burlington Police Department.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office is investigating Live Nation and Ticketmaster for maintaining a monopoly and stifling competition in the ticketing industry. If you have a complaint about high ticket prices, excessive fees or poor service provided by Live Nation or Ticketmaster, please complete the below complaint form.

Click here to fill out a complaint form.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Christopher Newhall, 38, of St. George, Vermont, was arraigned today on three felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, two felony counts of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, and two misdemeanor counts of Voyeurism. The charges brought against Mr.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Richard Irish, 57, of South Royalton, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one count of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Jason Heath, 53, of Milton, Vermont, was arraigned today on one misdemeanor count of Voyeurism. The charge brought against the defendant is the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Milton Police Department.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Wentworth C. Comes, Jr., 83, of Hancock, Vermont, was arraigned today on three felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and two misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Mr.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Benjamin Mallery, 32, of Sheffield, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Caledonia Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Maleek S. Drummond, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Addison County, Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony charge of Possession of Heroin of 2 grams or more. The Court, Judge John W. Valente presiding, sentenced the defendant according to the parties’ plea agreement to serve a sentence of 10 to 11 months of incarceration.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Everett Kidder, 56, of Braintree, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Possession of Child Pornography (now known as Child Sexual Abuse Material).

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Robert Charbonneau, 50, of Burlington, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge brought against the defendant is the result of an undercover criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and the Hartford Police Department during which Mr. Charbonneau initiated contact online via Kik messenger with a Hartford Investigator posing as a 14-year-old minor.

Attorney General Charity Clark today thanked the Legislature for explicitly codifying the crime of nonconsensual “deepfake” pornography. The change, contained in bill H.878, was added to Vermont’s Revenge Porn Statute and will be making its way to the Governor’s desk. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to alter photos, videos, or audio to make it look like someone is doing something they are not. Sometimes, so-called “nudification” apps are used to create deepfakes.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Nicholas Badger, 20, of Fairfax, Vermont, was arraigned today on four felony counts of Luring a Child, and one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of a criminal investigation, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and the Essex Police Department, and including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced Vermont’s participation in a multistate settlement with a coalition of wireless carriers AT&T Mobility, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless, Inc. The settlement resolves investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices. Vermont will receive $67,237 through this settlement and, nationwide, 50 jurisdictions will receive a total of $10.25 million.

As National Small Business Week comes to a close, Attorney General Charity Clark is reminding Vermont’s small businesses of the resources available through her office. Vermont businesses are covered by our state’s consumer protection laws, and the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) can be a helpful resource available to businesses. Through CAP’s free complaint mediation service, the office can help businesses resolve consumer issues. CAP’s Small Business Advocate can also help businesses respond to scams and navigate government programs.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Vermont received $24,885,098.40 from tobacco manufacturers under the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). Annually, Vermont receives monies from tobacco manufacturers from the MSA, which resolved the State’s lawsuit filed in the 1990’s. The settlement funds are credited to the State’s Tobacco Fund, and the legislature determines how they are spent.

In celebration of Earth Day, Attorney General Charity Clark today announced the conclusion of the fourth annual Earth Day Essay Challenge for Vermont’s fifth and sixth graders. The annual event began in 2021 with the Attorney General’s Office inviting students to submit essays on the environment and Earth Day. This year’s essay challenge began in February and ran through mid-April.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Edward A. Curran, 39, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned today on five felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The charges brought against Mr. Curran are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of a residential search warrant, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Quang Le, 60, of South Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of Disturbing the Peace by Use of Telephone or Other Electronic Communications. The Court, Hon. Kevin Griffin presiding, sentenced the defendant by agreement to a 10-year term of probation with conditions that restrict his access to the internet and contact with minors.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Robert E. Bowdish, 77, of Weybridge, Vermont, was arraigned today on seven felony and two misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The charges brought against Mr. Bowdish are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and Vermont State Police.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Lilac Rain Brown-Fisher, 28, of Essex Junction, Vermont, was charged yesterday with one count of felony Grand Larceny, one count of felony of Larceny from a Person, and one count of felony Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult.

Attorney General Charity Clark, along with the U.S. Justice Department and 15 other state and district Attorneys General, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.  

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Dr. Catherine A. Cech, 64, of Arlington, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony count of Prescription Fraud. The charge brought against Dr. Cech is the result of an investigation, including the issuance of subpoenas and interviews conducted by the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Vermont has joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its state partners in the lawsuit against Amazon.com. The lawsuit, which was initially filed in September 2023 and yesterday amended to include Vermont, alleges that the online retail and technology company is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Paul Frasca, 58, of Chester, Vermont was arraigned today on seven felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. The charges brought against Mr. Frasca are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), and included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Hartford Police Department, and Chester Police Department.

Office Saves and Recovers More Than $1.89 million for Vermont Consumers

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Edwin Read, 31, formerly of Royalton and Barre, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after previously pleading guilty to one count of felony Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, one count of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material  – Second Offense, one count of misdemeanor Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registry, and one count of misdemeanor Unlawful Mischief. Mr.

Essay Challenge for Vermont’s 5th and 6th Graders

Attorney General Charity Clark wants to hear young Vermonters’ thoughts on the future of environmental advocacy. For the fourth year in a row, the Attorney General’s Office is holding an Earth Day Essay Challenge for fifth and sixth graders to submit essays on the environment.

Attorney General Charity Clark has led a coalition of state Attorneys General in filing public comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) latest vehicle emissions settlement regarding “defeat devices” installed in a group of RAM truck models. These devices cause the vehicles to emit much higher levels of air pollution than permitted by the State’s vehicle emissions regulations, giving rise to a series of consumer and environmental claims against the manufacturer, Cummins Inc. The EPA’s $1.5 billion proposed settlement with Cummins Inc.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Eva P. Vekos, 54, was today arraigned in Vermont Superior Court, Addison Criminal Division, with the crime of Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor (DUI).

Case Now Proceeds in State Court

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Christopher Camp, 32, of Waterbury, Vermont was arraigned on six felony counts and one misdemeanor count of possession of child sexual abuse materials. The charges brought against Mr. Camp are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police (VSP) and Vermont’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which includes personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

The Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit to hold a logging business accountable for violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Codling Brothers Logging and David, Joe, and Paul Codling have conducted fraudulent business practices in logging in the State of Vermont. In the Complaint, the State alleges that the Codling Brothers used unfair and deceptive practices with at least five Vermont landowners.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Michael Holden, 35, of Manchester, Vermont, was arraigned today on six felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material – Second Offense. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bennington Probation & Parole Office and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Vermont will receive $1,079,000 as its share of a $350 million national settlement with Publicis Health to resolve investigations into the global marketing and communications firm’s role in the prescription opioid crisis. In agreeing to the terms of the settlement, Publicis recognized the harm its conduct caused.

Attorney General Charity Clark announced the January 28, 2024 celebration of Data Privacy Day, an international effort to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. She praised legislative leaders for taking up H.121, a comprehensive data privacy bill, initially spearheaded by her office. H.121 will codify every Vermonter’s right to control the buying, selling, and processing of their personal data, including biometric data.

UPDATE (March 7, 2024): The claims portal is now live. Learn more and file your claim here: https://www.vtmoteldeposit.com/Home/portalid/0

AG Clark Helps Recoup $300,000 in Withheld Security Deposits;

State to Receive Proof of Repair Expenses

The Attorney General’s Office announced that, in separate incidents, two Vermont men—Matthew Luzzatto, 48, of Colchester, Vermont, and Joshua Burbank, 37, of Newport, Vermont—were arraigned in Vermont Superior Court today for possession of child sexual abuse material.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that David Ainsworth, 42, of Lyndonville, Vermont, was arraigned today on four felony counts of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct and five felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a $2,350,733 settlement with the estate of a former owner of a dry cleaner site, resolving over a decade of litigation with the State. The settlement resolves claims brought by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) for remediation of hazardous materials emanating from a former dry cleaner site at 7 Union Street in Hartford, Vermont.

Report includes review of 2022 homicides and recommendations to Legislature

Scam reports to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) totaled 3,212 in 2023. The “computer tech support” scam took the number one spot on the list, totaling almost 25 percent of the top scams reported. Phishing scams involving financial institutions, where a scammer tries to lure victims into clicking malicious links or tricking them into providing sensitive information which can be used to steal money, took the number two spot, accounting for a little more than 11 percent of the top scam reports in 2023.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced highlights from the Office’s Environmental Protection Unit during her first year in office.

“Vermont’s natural environment and natural resources are part of who we are as a state. I am proud of my office’s role in upholding Vermont’s environmental laws and protecting our environment for future generations,” said Attorney General Clark.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that James Craft, 26, of Fair Haven, Vermont, was arraigned today on five felony counts and one misdemeanor count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced the conclusion of their independent review of the officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on June 19, 2023, in Fair Haven, Vermont. Attorney General Charity Clark has declined to prosecute Fair Haven Police Detective Shaun Hewitt for charges related to the use of deadly force in a shooting incident involving Kenneth Barber, Jr.