Corrections officer facing drug charges
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Sheri Fitzgerald (right) appears Friday in Vermont District Court. Fitzgerald is accused of selling cocaine. VYTO STARINSKAS / RUTLAND HERALD |
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By Alan J. Keays Herald Staff - Published: April 28, 2007
A state corrections officer in Rutland has been jailed on $250,000 bail for allegedly selling cocaine to people she oversees in the community as part of her job.
Sheri Fitzgerald, 43, of Proctor, was arrested Thursday afternoon by Rutland City Police after she allegedly sold cocaine to a police informant behind the Proctor Library.
"She is accused of betrayal, not just of the citizens of the state of Vermont, she is also accused of betrayal of the 1,200 employees that quietly, efficiently and deliberately do their job every day," Rob Hofmann, state corrections commissioner, said Friday.
Fitzgerald has been an employee with the state Department of Corrections since 1989.
"She's been a community corrections officer. It's a staff member that oversees offenders in the community, often on different shifts, including the evening," Hofmann said, adding that many of the inmates Fitzgerald supervises are on furlough.
The commissioner said Fitzgerald remains an employee of Corrections, at least for now.
"We're in a unionized environment and there are certain steps we need to take to follow with personnel issues," Hofmann said. "I can guarantee you this has our full attention and we are taking these allegations tremendously seriously."
Police said they did talk to a man Thursday who told them that while he was incarcerated at the Rutland jail more than three years ago Fitzgerald would smuggle tobacco and rolling papers into the facility. Hoffman said Friday he could not comment on any past complaints or allegations involving Fitzgerald and contraband at the prison that the state may have investigated.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss past allegations," the commissioner said.
Hofmann attended Fitzgerald's arraignment Friday afternoon, watching the brief proceeding from the back of the courtroom.
Fitzgerald pleaded innocent Friday afternoon in Rutland District Court to three felony charges, including selling and possession of cocaine and distributing a narcotic as well as a misdemeanor count of illegal possession of a narcotic. She was ordered jailed for lack of the $250,000 bail.
If convicted of all the offenses, Fitzgerald faces up to 19 years in prison.
Attorney John Bloomer of Rutland, representing Fitzgerald, said in court that the bail requested by the prosecutor was "acceptable," although he may file a bail review motion in the future.
Rutland State's Attorney James Mongeon also argued for other bail conditions for Fitzgerald. If she is released, the prosecutor requested a condition that Fitzgerald not consume any alcohol and abide by a curfew at her home in Proctor.
Both Bloomer and Mongeon declined further comment on the case following the arraignment.
Rutland City Police said the investigation began when they recently received a tip from a person on furlough that Fitzgerald is "always looking for pills and or cocaine."
Police said the informant was willing to attempt to purchase pills or cocaine from Fitzgerald, but was concerned Fitzgerald would retaliate and make that person's time on furlough a "living hell."
Police said they staged a controlled purchase of drugs from Fitzgerald by an informant Thursday, though it is unclear in court records if the informant was the same one who first contacted police.
Early Thursday afternoon, the informant called Fitzgerald at the request of police, and while speaking with Fitzgerald, she informed the informant that she could get the informant an "8 ball" of cocaine for $250.
A little before 2 p.m. Thursday, the informant called Fitzgerald, saying that the informant had the money, an affidavit filed Friday in court by city police Detective David LaChance stated.
"Fitzgerald then told the CI that she wanted to meet in Proctor at the library," the affidavit stated.
The detective wrote that he gave the informant $250 of police narcotic funds and placed a recording device in the informant's vehicle.
Around 3 p.m. Thursday, Fitzgerald arrived at the library, got out of her car, and met with the informant, according to the affidavit. The informant asked Fitzgerald if it was "good stuff," according to the affidavit. Fitzgerald could then be heard on the wire "commenting on how good it was," LaChance wrote.
Fitzgerald and the informant then each left the parking lot, with the informant handing over to police 3.4 grams of cocaine, the affidavit stated. Shortly after, police said they pulled over Fitzgerald on Williams Street, where she lives.
Fitzgerald was then taken to the Rutland police station for questioning.
"Fitzgerald stated she is addicted to pain pills and nothing else," the affidavit stated.
She added that on Thursday she went to Grove Street in Rutland and met with a man to pick up three Tylox pills, LaChance wrote. At the residence, the man asked her if she wanted to sell "some crushed up powder."
Also, while meeting with the man, the man showed her two large bags of cocaine, saying that if she wanted to "get rid of the white powder for $250" she could keep $50, the affidavit stated.
"Fitzgerald said she then went to the library and was then stopped by Rutland City Police," the detective wrote.
Police said they went to the man's home on Grove Street, where he told them about the smuggling of tobacco and rolling papers into the prison.
Contact Alan J. Keays at alan.keays@rutlandherald.com.
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