Barry Perez, Kidnapping and Interstate Transport of Stolen Vehicle, Vermont 2023

Burlington, Vermont — In a shocking turn of events, a Connecticut man has been arraigned in federal court on charges of kidnapping and interstate transport of a stolen motor vehicle.

Barry Perez, 37, of Hartford, Connecticut, was brought before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle on May 11, 2023 and was subsequently ordered detained in federal custody pending further proceedings.

According to court records, Perez stole a box truck in Lebanon, New Hampshire in the early hours of the morning of January 13, 2023, and drove it into Vermont before crashing it into a rock outcropping in the median of Interstate 89.

When a good Samaritan truck driver pulled over to render aid, Perez pointed a realistic-looking faux firearm at the truck driver and compelled the truck driver to drive him northbound on Interstate 89. The truck driver was eventually able to flee from the truck in a parking lot in Berlin.

Responding officers found Perez in the cab of the truck and arrested him.

The indictment, which Perez had been facing since May 11, 2023, is an accusation only, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Perez faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Berlin Police Department, the Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. He also thanked the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Barre City Police Department, and the Montpelier Police Department for their assistance safely taking Perez into custody.

Assistant United States Attorneys Paul van de Graaf and Ray Sun represent the government. Perez is represented by Federal Defender Michael L. Desautels, Esq. and Michael J. Leddy, Esq.

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