By Layla Kalinen
Eagle Times Staff
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
NEWFANE, Vt. — An Athens, Vt., man who eluded local, state and federal law enforcement agencies before his capture at a Massachusetts hotel has been sentenced to prison on poaching, drug and gun charges.
On Dec. 20, in Rutland, Vt., Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Ryan Goodrich to five years in federal prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Goodrich plead guilty to a federal count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. He also plead guilty to additional charges in state court.
In Windham Superior Court in Newfane, Vt., Goodrich was sentenced to serve 59-60 days, pay $835 in fines and $2,000 in restitution to Fish and Wildlife on charges of taking deer in closed season, possession of heroin, possession of a narcotic, and driving on a suspended driver’s license.
Goodrich’s arrest resulted from work by eight local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including Vermont Fish and Wildlife Wardens, Massachusetts State Police and the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau. He was apprehended mid December.
In late winter of 2021, the Vermont Warden Service began investigating Goodrich for hunting while under revocation after receiving a tip from the Bellows Falls Police Department. During the investigation, wardens obtained information that Goodrich, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was in possession of a short-barrel shotgun and that it was likely at his residence. Wardens coordinated with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and executed a search warrant at his rented camper in Athens on March 3, 2022.
During the search, wardens located and seized the loaded short-barrel shotgun as well as six additional firearms, 2,978 rounds of ammunition, 880 bags of heroin and more than $7,045.
When the warrant was executed, Goodrich was not at the residence, but documents in his name were found during the search.
After Goodrich was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 10, 2022, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, the Vermont Warden Service worked with federal agents and several agencies in Vermont and surrounding states to apprehend Goodrich.
In early April 2022, the Warden Service obtained information that Goodrich was likely staying at a hotel in the Keene, New Hampshire area. On April 9, 2022, the Keene Police Department executed a search warrant at a hotel, only for luck to be on Goodrich’s side again.
Goodrich was not in the hotel room when officers executed the warrant, but they did find documents inside the room confirming he was staying there.
Only days later, on April 19, 2022, the Vermont Warden Service again obtained information on Goodrich’s location, learning he had again crossed state lines to the Deerfield, Massachusetts area and was attempting to obtain transportation to Texas.
After coordinating with the Greenfield and Deerfield, MA, Police departments, Goodrich was apprehended at a Deerfield hotel.
Vermont State Game Warden David Taddei said the arrest was proof that the multiple agencies involved in the investigation were successful.
“Vermont Fish and Wild law crimes are often the nexus that leads to discovering larger criminal activity, and this was a successful investigation that was solved with the help of multiple agencies with areas of expertise needed to close the case,” Taddei commented.
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