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Press Releases

Attorney General Clark Announces Annual Earth Day Essay Challenge for Vermont Fifth And Sixth Graders

Date
February 13, 2023

CONTACT: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171                                                             

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

Vermont State Police, Attorney General’s Office announce availability of safe firearms storage sites across Vermont

Date
January 24, 2023

Vermonters who need to remove firearms from their homes now have access to a renewed program that provides safe storage at sites statewide, the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced today.

Under the Firearms Storage Program, eight federally licensed firearms dealers in the state have signed up to accept firearms for temporary storage due to a protection order or for other safekeeping reasons.

Jury Reaches Not Guilty Verdict in Schwartz Trial

Date
January 20, 2023

A Franklin County jury today found Mark Schwartz, 34, of Cambridge, Vermont, not guilty of Simple Assault. Mr. Schwartz was charged in 2021 with causing bodily injury to an individual on February 28, 2019, by using a taser to incapacitate the individual. Mr. Schwartz was an officer with the St. Albans Police Department and was on duty at the time of the incident.

Attorney General Sues Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Company Nano For Misleading Consumers

Date
January 3, 2023

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against Nano Hearing Aids for misleading consumers about the effectiveness and quality of its products. The lawsuit alleges that Nano engaged in multiple layers of deception by making misleading statements on its website and in advertisements, implying its products are FDA-approved, and falsely representing its products as American-made.

Ludlow Officer Will Not Be Prosecuted for Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

Date
December 22, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office today announced the conclusions of their independent reviews of the fatal officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on August 15, 2022, in Ludlow, Vermont. Attorney General Susanne Young and Orange County State’s Attorney Dickson Corbett have declined to prosecute Ludlow Police Officer Zachary Paul for charges related to the fatal shooting of Michael Mills.

AG’s Office Settles Allegations of Neglect and False Claims with Upper Valley Services

Date
December 14, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) has entered a settlement agreement with Upper Valley Services, a designated agency that provides services and supports for people with developmental disabilities in Orange County and Moretown, Vermont. The settlement resolves MFRAU’s investigations into three incidents involving Upper Valley Services.

Vermont Joins Three Multistate Settlements Over Experian Data Breaches

Date
December 10, 2022

Experian and T-Mobile agree to improve data protection practices

Vermont recently joined three multistate settlements involving Experian data breaches that occurred in 2012 and 2015. The breaches compromised the personal information of millions of consumers nationwide, including 2,133 Vermont consumers who had applied for T-Mobile postpaid services and device financing between September 2013 and September 2015.

Brookfield Man Sentenced in Aggravated Assault Case

Date
December 7, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced that William Pine, 52, of Brookfield, Vermont was sentenced today on two felony counts of Aggravated Assault and one misdemeanor count of False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer. After a contested hearing in Vermont Superior Court, Orange Criminal Division, Mr. Pine was sentenced to 18 months to 10 years to serve, with credit for approximately 4 months of in-patient treatment.

South Burlington Man Arrested for Promoting Recordings of Sexual Conduct

Date
November 15, 2022

The Attorney General’s Office announced that David Green, 23, of South Burlington, Vermont, was arraigned today on three felony counts of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct. The charges brought against Mr. Green are the result of a criminal investigation – including the execution of residential and online data search warrants – conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and South Burlington Police Department.

Vermont To Receive $4 Million Settlement with Google Over Location Tracking Practices

Date
November 14, 2022

Attorney General Susanne Young today announced that Vermont will receive $4 million from a multistate settlement with Google over its location tracking practices related to Google Account settings. The settlement also requires Google to be more transparent with consumers about its practices, including giving users detailed information about the types of location data Google collects and how it’s used. The multistate settlement announced today was negotiated by a coalition of 40 attorneys general and totals $391.5 million.

Vermont Joins Three Multistate Settlements Over Experian Data Breaches

Date
November 10, 2022

Experian and T-Mobile agree to improve data protection practices

Vermont recently joined three multistate settlements involving Experian data breaches that occurred in 2012 and 2015. The breaches compromised the personal information of millions of consumers nationwide, including 2,133 Vermont consumers who had applied for T-Mobile postpaid services and device financing between September 2013 and September 2015.

POSTPONED: U.S. Attorney, AG & Rutland Area NAACP to Co-Host Hate-Free Vermont Forum

Date
November 9, 2022

11/7/22 UPDATE: The Hate-Free Vermont Forum scheduled for tonight, 11/17, from 5:30-7:30PM has been postponed. The Forum to be held in St. Albans will be rescheduled for a later date, and the details of the event will be announced by press release. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

AG Young’s Statement Regarding Jury Verdict in Pollender-Savery Trial

Date
October 28, 2022

Today, a jury found Tyler Pollender-Savery not guilty of Murder in the Second Degree. In light of the verdict, Vermont Attorney General Susanne Young issued the following statement:

“I want to thank the jury for their service. While we are disappointed that the State was unable to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the right to a trial by jury is fundamental to our system of justice and a cornerstone of our democracy. Our thoughts are with 11-month-old Karsen Rickert’s family during this time.”

Attorney General Resolves Claims of Deception by Caregiver Staffing Agency

Date
October 26, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has reached a settlement with a New Hampshire-based staffing agency that employed a temporary caregiver to multiple Vermont long-term care facilities despite knowing that the caregiver had financially exploited at least two older Vermonters while employed on the agency’s watch. The settlement requires the staffing agency—Staffing Solutions of Vermont, LLC—to pay a penalty to the State of Vermont, overhaul its employee hiring and termination practices, and be subject to ongoing State oversight.

Woodstock Police Sergeant Will Not Be Prosecuted for Officer-Involved Shooting

Date
October 4, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Grand Isle County State’s Attorney’s Office today announced the conclusions of their independent reviews of the officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on June 14, 2022, in Woodstock, Vermont. Attorney General Susanne Young and Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Douglas DiSabito have declined to prosecute Woodstock Police Sergeant Joseph Swanson for charges related to the use of deadly force in a shooting incident involving Jay Wilson.

Brattleboro Officer & VSP Sergeants Will Not Be Prosecuted for Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

Date
September 26, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office today announced the conclusions of their independent reviews of the fatal officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on July 19, 2022, in Brattleboro, Vermont. Attorney General Susanne Young and Orange County State’s Attorney Dickson Corbett have declined to prosecute Brattleboro Police Officer Ryder Carbone and Vermont State Police Detective Sergeants Jesse Robson and Samuel Truex for charges related to the fatal shooting of Matthew Davis.

6th Annual VT Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food Drive Raises $13,854 & Collects Over 650 Items

Date
September 23, 2022

The sixth annual Vermont Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food Drive raised $13,854 for the Vermont Foodbank and collected over 650 items that were donated to local food shelves or meal sites. This two-week fundraiser, held each year in September during Hunger Action Month, is organized by the Attorney General’s Office, the Vermont Bar Association, and the Vermont Paralegal Organization in partnership with the Vermont Foodbank. In the six-year history of the food drive, Vermont’s legal community has raised more than $63,000 and collected over 11,000 food items.

Four Caregivers of Vulnerable Adults Charged by AG’s Office

Date
September 12, 2022

The Attorney General’s Office today announced it charged four caregivers after Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, found probable cause for multiple criminal charges. The charges, including abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, are against David Mumley, 29, formerly of Swanton, Vermont; Heather Mumley, 30, formerly of Swanton, Vermont; Krystal Grenier, 30, of Milton, Vermont; and Nicholas Grenier, 29, of Milton, Vermont.

Vermont Business Imposter Email Scams Are on The Rise

Date
September 12, 2022

The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) is warning Vermont business owners, non-profits, and employees about an uptick in business imposter email scams. In the last two months, CAP has received five reports of business imposter email scams resulting in a total loss of $210,799. Scammers are impersonating employees or familiar business representatives’ emails and contacting company bookkeepers and office administrators asking them to change bank account information, direct deposit information, or asking them to write checks.

Vermont Joins 33 States in $438.5M Agreement with JUUL Labs

Date
September 6, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has joined 33 other states in reaching a $438.5 million agreement in principle with JUUL Labs, resolving a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing and sales practices. Under the terms of the agreement in principle, the State of Vermont will receive approximately $8 million over a period of six to ten years.

AG’s Office Settles Allegations of Abuse & Neglect with Rutland Residential Care Homes

Date
August 31, 2022

Following its investigation, the Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) today announced a settlement with Our House Residential Care Homes. It is alleged that Our House, operator of four residential care homes in Rutland, Vermont, failed to properly train staff and adequately document and monitor the delivery of resident care services, resulting in abuse and neglect of residents.

Opioid Maker Endo Agrees to Up To $450 Million Settlement

Date
August 14, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has reached an agreement in principle with opioid maker Endo over its role in promoting the opioid crisis. Endo, an Ireland-based drug maker with U.S. headquarters in Pennsylvania, makes generic and branded opioids, including Percocet and Endocet, and Opana ER, before it was withdrawn from the market in 2017.

West Topsham Woodchip Supplier to Pay Penalty & Restitution for Overcharging Consumers

Date
August 5, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office today announced a settlement with heating woodchip supplier Limlaw Pulpwood Inc. and its related businesses for violating the Vermont Consumer Protection Act by falsifying the weight of its woodchip loads. The Attorney General’s Office investigated after receiving a report from the Agency of Agriculture regarding concerns that Limlaw was deceptively weighing its woodchip loads to make deliveries seem heavier, resulting in overcharges to consumers.

Vermont Joins Nationwide Anti-Robocall Task Force

Date
August 2, 2022

Vermont has joined a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 states to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing foreign robocalls into the U.S. Gateway providers that bring robocalls into the U.S. have a responsibility to ensure the call traffic is legal, but these providers are not doing enough to stop illegal robocalls.

Former Opioid Maker Allergan Agrees to Up To $2.37 Billion Settlement

Date
July 29, 2022

Vermont is set to receive another substantial settlement in its ongoing work to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid crises. For the second time this week, a drug manufacturer, Abbvie, disclosed a proposed settlement to its investors in its earnings report released today. The proposed settlement will require Allergan, acquired by Abbvie in 2020, to pay up to $2.37 billion to participating states and local governments.

Opioid Maker Teva Agrees to Up To $4.25 Billion Settlement

Date
July 27, 2022

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has reached an agreement in principle on key financial terms with opioid maker Teva, which would provide up to $4.25 billion to participating states and local governments. While critical details of the settlement remain the subject of ongoing negotiations, Teva disclosed the key financial terms in its earnings announcement yesterday.

Resource: Know Your Reproductive Rights

Date
June 30, 2022

The following information is intended to answer questions about your legal rights in Vermont. You should talk to a health care provider about questions regarding your reproductive health, including whether and when you can safely terminate your pregnancy.

Exercise caution when speaking with a new health care provider or searching online for health information. Do not share your personal health information except with a trusted provider.

Vermont Joins National Settlement with Carnival Cruise Over 2019 Data Breach

Date
June 28, 2022

Carnival Required to Change Its Security and Breach Practices

The Attorney General’s Office announced a multistate settlement with Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line stemming from a 2019 data breach that involved the personal information of approximately 180,000 Carnival employees and customers nationwide. As part of the settlement, Carnival must strengthen its email security and breach response practices. The company must also pay the states a total of $1.25 million, of which Vermont will receive $10,000.

Vermont Receives $61,000 Settlement with Mallinckrodt for Underpayment of Medicaid Drug Rebates

Date
June 21, 2022

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Vermont joined with 49 other states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the federal government to settle allegations of fraud against Mallinckrodt ARD, LLC (formerly known as Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which sells and markets pharmaceutical products throughout the nation. The total value of the multistate settlement is more than $233 million, to be paid over a period of seven years. Of the total settlement, Vermont received $61,595.05.

Attorney General’s Office Brings Landlord Restoration Program to St. Johnsbury

Date
June 21, 2022

The Attorney General’s Office is holding a community forum for landlords on Vermont’s Lead Paint Law on Wednesday, June 29, at 4 p.m. in St. Johnsbury. Vermont law requires owners of residential rental properties built before 1978 to file lead safety compliance statements with the Vermont Department of Health every year. To help landlords understand how to ensure their properties are inspected and filings are properly completed, the Attorney General’s Office has initiated a public education and outreach campaign to promote safe housing and help landlords with compliance.

Statement from Attorney General Donovan on Decision to Step Down

Date
June 10, 2022

Attorney General T.J. Donovan today announced that he is stepping down from the office of Attorney General effective Monday, June 20, 2022, at 5 p.m. in order to accept the position of Director of Public Policy and U.S. State Strategies for the company Roblox. Donovan will be based in Vermont.

Attorney General Donovan issued the following statement regarding his decision:

Scam Alert: Beware of “Couriers” Collecting Cash in Family Emergency Scam

Date
June 2, 2022

Attorney General T.J. Donovan is warning Vermonters about a new variation of the family emergency scam in which scammers are demanding that cash be handed over in person to a “courier.” By presenting a fake emergency in which their loved one needs help getting out of trouble, scammers pressure panicked family members, including grandparents, into acting before they can realize it’s a scam. Until recently, scammers took a hands-off approach in collecting money, demanding gift cards, wire transfers, or virtual payments.

Pfizer To Refund Vermonters Deceived by Company’s Drug Copayment Coupon Program

Date
May 24, 2022

Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced a settlement with Pfizer Inc. following an investigation into the company’s business and advertising practices for its copayment coupon program. As part of the program, consumers were told that they would “pay no more than” certain amounts out-of-pocket for specific drugs – but ended up spending far more at the pharmacy. As part of the settlement, qualified Vermont consumers will automatically receive restitution for the amounts they overpaid.

Newark Mother and Son Charged with Medicaid Fraud

Date
May 23, 2022

The Attorney General’s Office announced that the Caledonia Criminal Division found probable cause for felony Medicaid Fraud charges committed by Debra Stewart, 62, of Newark, Vermont, and her son, Andrew Lavelle, 31. Ms. Stewart was arraigned today on two counts of Medicaid Fraud, while the court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Lavelle. The charges brought against both Ms. Stewart and Mr. Lavelle are the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit.

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