A pre-dawn heist at the Fair Haven Maplefields convenience store on September 30, 2015, has led to a federal indictment against Matthew Hinton, 26, of Orwell. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hinton is accused of brandishing a firearm during the robbery, stealing cash and merchandise in a violent act that triggered a multi-agency investigation.
A federal grand jury in Rutland returned a four-count superseding indictment charging Hinton with two new offenses: one count of Hobbs Act robbery, carrying a maximum 20-year sentence, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, which imposes a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison—consecutive to any other sentence—and a potential life term. The charges level the stakes in a case that has simmered since the night of the robbery.
Hinton was previously indicted on separate federal charges of felon-in-possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, both carrying maximum 10-year sentences. He has pleaded not guilty to those counts. Currently, he is in custody with the Vermont Department of Corrections, held on unrelated state charges stemming from a different case.
The new charges stem from the same September 2015 incident where investigators say Hinton entered the Maplefields store armed, threatened employees, and fled with stolen property. Surveillance footage and ballistic evidence tied him to the scene, law enforcement sources confirm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Fair Haven Police Department, and Vermont State Police jointly led the probe.
Hinton is scheduled to be arraigned on the new federal counts on November 21, 2016, before Magistrate Judge John Conroy in Burlington. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Perella is prosecuting the case for the federal government. Hinton is represented by David McColgin of the Federal Public Defenders Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reiterated that the indictment contains only allegations, and Hinton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted on all counts, however, he could face decades behind bars, with the firearm charge alone ensuring a lengthy mandatory sentence.
Related Federal Cases
- Matthew Hinton Sentenced to 7 Years for Maplefields Armed Robbery · Vermont
- Vermont Man Gets 15 Years for 8 Armed Robberies · New Hampshire
- Quebec Man Gets 2 Years for Sickening Child Porn · Vermont
- Matthew Martin Pleads Guilty to 8 Violent Robberies Across Two States · New Hampshire
- Timothy Miller Pleads Guilty to International Kidnapping Plot · New York
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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