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Press Release

Barnard Savage, Grand Isle Selectman, pleads guilty to drug trafficking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that today Bernard Savage, 57, plead guilty before Judge William K. Sessions to conspiring to distribute powder cocaine and oxycodone, between 2014 and June 2015. Savage also agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $75,000 on or before August 29, 2016, the current scheduled date for his sentencing. At that time, the Court could sentence Savage up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. According to court records, Savage admitted during undercover recordings to dealing powder cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana. Between October 2014 and June 2015, Savage participated in multiple undercover drug sales as part of the charged conspiracy. On three occasions, he sold powder cocaine, and on three occasions he sold oxycodone pills to a confidential informant. All of the sales took place at Savage’s residence at 152 Route 2 in Alburgh, Vermont. Patricia Savage, Bernard Savage’s wife, assisted in several of the undercover deals. At the same hearing today, Ms. Savage pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of oxycodone. As part of the written plea agreement, Mr. Savage agreed to the forfeiture of $24,620 in currency seized at the time of search of the Savage residence in July 2015. Ms. Savage agreed not to contest this forfeiture. Mr. Savage agreed to pay an additional $50,280 prior to his sentencing to satisfy the $75,000 forfeiture. In addition, both Savages agreed that, if the money judgment was not paid prior to the sentencing date, they would agree to the forfeiture of their residence. At the time of search, federal agents seized over 100 firearms from the residence. In the past, Mr. Savage had been an licensed firearms dealer, but he no longer had that license in 2015. As part of the plea agreement, the firearms were not returned to the Savages but instead turned over to another licensed firearms dealer for sale. While Mr. Savage faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, the plea agreement does not limit the parties’ arguments at the time of sentencing. At that time, among other things, the Court will consider the advisory sentencing guidelines, and the government has agreed to recommend that Mr. Savage receive credit under the guidelines for acceptance of responsibility if he is honest during the presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office. The government and Ms. Savage agreed that the appropriate sentence in light of her plea was one year of probation. This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Vermont State Police. Mr. Savage is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq., and Ms. Savage is represented by Norman Blais, Esq. The United States is represented by AUSA Wendy Fuller.
Updated April 25, 2016