http://rutlandherald.com/article/20131108/THISJUSTIN/711089937
Man faces heroin charge day after prison release November 08,2013 Email Article Print Article Man denies heroin charge BRATTLEBORO — A 24-year-old Springfield man pleaded innocent to possessing heroin and narcotics the day after he was released from the state prison in Springfield. Devin Pratt was ordered held for lack of $5,000 cash bail after his appearance Wednesday in Brattleboro criminal court. Pratt, who has a lengthy criminal record, was arrested Tuesday by Vermont State Police on three counts — possession of heroin, possession of narcotics and possession of a hallucinogenic drug. Pratt listed his address as 1 Union St. in Springfield, a “sober house” run by a nonprofit organization in Springfield. His co-defendant, Juliane K. Tamasi-Bowers, 34, also of Springfield, listed 50 Valley St. as her address. She was charged with a single misdemeanor count of possessing heroin. According to court records, Pratt was released from Springfield prison Monday after he served his sentence for assault. Tuesday night, he was a passenger in a car stopped for speeding on Interstate 91 in Rockingham. Police said the car was driven by Eugenia Emerson, 32, of Springfield; Tamasi-Bowers was in the front passenger seat and Pratt in the back seat. Police said Emerson was driving 76 mph in the posted 65 mph zone. The two women told police they had driven from Springfield to the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Brattleboro — which aroused officers’ suspicions because the KFC in Charlestown, N.H., is much closer to Springfield. Police said they searched Emerson’s vehicle, with her written permission, and found six packets of heroin tucked into a pack of cigarettes on the passenger side. Tamasi-Bowers admitted the heroin was hers, police said, and that she was an addict. Police said they found a black can in the back seat of the vehicle labeled “Monster Energy,” which they unscrewed and revealed a hidden compartment. They found 10 bundles with a total of 94 bags of heroin, they said. Police said the 100 bags in all weighed more than 3 grams, far more than the felony amount of heroin. Tamasi-Bowers later changed her story and said Pratt had given her six bags of heroin in exchange for arranging a ride to Brattleboro for him, police said. At the state police barracks in Rockingham, police said, Pratt was searched and officers found a cigarette box in his pants containing hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as 13 wrapped doses of suboxone. Earlier, police said, they had found a small amount of marijuana on Pratt as well. Police found an active arrest warrant for Pratt in Vermont for extradition to New Hampshire. Deputy State’s Attorney David Gartenstein said Pratt was facing serious felony charges stemming from an incident in Milford, N.H. According to his court record, Pratt had no previous felony convictions, despite being charged with seven felonies. He has been convicted of seven misdemeanors, including assault in Bellows Falls. A charge of sexual assault in Windham County in 2009 was later dismissed. Pratt is originally from the Bellows Falls-Westminster area, court records show.
What is interesting here, frankly, in most of these stories is to read how these individuals have been charged and what charges the state has dropped or lowered. Time and time and time again we read the same story about plea deals and charges that are lowered or dropped. Enough already. when is it that VT residents are going to actually get it and demand more from the elected officials and their state government? It is mind boggling and then you wonder why, openly wonder why, things are the way they are in VT. Geesh..this is why everyone in the tri state area makes fun of how stupid Vermonters are.
ReplyDeleteThis is what a slap on the wrist will do. Wake up Judicial system!
ReplyDeleteSome sober house you have there Will Hunter.
ReplyDeleteMr. Pratt is not and has never been a resident of the sober house at 1 Union Street.
DeleteYou might want to talk to the Rutland Herald for misleading the public then.
DeleteWill is trying to make a difference, and that comment shows your type of mentality is the real problem with this society.
ReplyDeleteI understand that Will is trying to make a difference. My comment has nothing to do with what you make think the "real problem with society" is. You post anonymous. Your comment means nothing.
DeleteSee the movie, "The Hungry Heart," to understand what addiction is. It is an illness. It is only made a lot worse when the substances to which a person is addicted are illegal. People who are addicted to alcohol or tobacco do bad things; we impose penalties and punishments on them, and sometimes we get good results, but sometimes we don't.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Springfield showing of the movie, its protagonist, Dr. Holmes, said the best way to get the addict to consider change is to make sure he hits bottom. However, if jailing is the bottom, then we have to be ready to pay to make it possible.
My own theory is, have a jail where addicts get all the substances they need. The ones who want to get clean get released after 90 days of zero traces in their system. The ones who don't want to change will be happy. Problem solved! But it would cost.....
Chuck, your addict Mecca/Riviera will cost. As to the movie reference, did Springfield win the contest to be named "the official hometown" of "The Hungry Heart"?
DeleteYou bet it would cost, but all the drug-related crime would disappear. And imagine the gas savings when people don't drive to Bratt to score some smack. Win-win, all around.
DeleteAnd no, we didn't win the hometown prize; that went to St. Albans.
Chuck, I've never seen this movie you speak of but if heroin was legal I still would not do it. That is why I agree that drugs should not be illegal. This should not be a focus of government. Isn't the reason marijuana because the government said it makes black people crazy? And all that propaganda? I'm not with you on the "gas savings" I almost think that was sarcasm coming from you. But I don't have you figured out yet. Liberal...Libertarian...Some where in between I think. No diss intended.
DeleteIsn't the reason marijuana ***"is illegal"***
DeleteRoger, there are people genetically predisposed to chemical addiction. I know of people who have tried heroin, crack, grass, etc., and never done it again. You are probably one of them.
DeleteThe problem is with the people who should never have tried drugs in the first place. One guy I know said, "I had my first beer when I was thirteen, and I knew I was born for it." Thirty years later, at least he's aware he's got a problem.
Our "drug problem" is actually two problems-- the dependency issue and the violence in pursuit of profit that their criminalization has produced. We could reduce the magnitude of the "drug problem" by eliminating the profitability of drug crime.
Chuck is a Liberalspendtarian -- he advocates NO LIMITS to spending other people's money on ANY SOCIAL CAUSE no matter how impractical it may be. The objective is to subsidize aberration and recidivism at the expense of the law abiding, responsible citizenry, thereby impeding the latter's ability to deservedly improve their lives by using government to force them to pay for expanding the deviance and dependency class that Chuck and his low achievers can then provide a lifetime of "counseling" to; in the process stroking their own egos by appearing as “superior authority figures” to the rabble that they have ensnared in lives of perpetual neediness.
DeleteSingapore has an effective drug trafficking policy, a very vibrant economy, and high standard of living. Drug use there is a near, non issue. Perhaps we could learn from their example.
ReplyDeleteI like the Singapoe idea, unfortuantely lawers do not make any money on drug crimes over there. Hence the reason we don't follow the Singapore method of dealing with drug crimes.
ReplyDeleteChuck never puts his money where his mouth is (or where his fingers on the keyboard are). No cost is too high for him because he's banking on others paying (working folk) footing the bill while he curls up nice and warm in his little Springfield lair -- and picks up a little loose change on the side providing "counseling" services to all those with an Obamacare addiction rider. Springfield on the Dole needs to turn to Chuck for their next attempt at a vapid town logo: Springfield - Gateway to vice and dependency.
ReplyDeleteSucks to be him sounds like he got set up!
ReplyDelete