Man facing charges after allegedly stealing Jeep from Springfield justice center

A man accused of stealing a Jeep from a justice center is scheduled to face felony and misdemeanor charges at the end of May.

www.eagletimes.com    

2016-05-05 / Front Page Man facing charges after allegedly stealing Jeep from Springfield justice center By Tory Jones Bonenfant toryb@eagletimes.com Kevin Driend — COURTESY OF SPRINGFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT Kevin Driend — COURTESY OF SPRINGFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT SPRINGFIELD — A man accused of stealing a Jeep from a justice center is scheduled to face felony and misdemeanor charges at the end of May. Police in Springfield responded to a call on Wednesday, April 6 from an employee at the Springfield Restorative Justice Center (SRJC) reporting that a vehicle had been stolen, according to a press release issued by the Springfield Police Department on May 4. A joint investigation by the Springfield Police and Vermont Probation and Parole led to the arrest of 21-year-old Kevin Driend of Springfield on charges of burglary and operating without owner’s consent. Driend is accused of allegedly entering the justice center with intent to steal the SRJC’s leased Jeep Cherokee, and allegedly stealing that vehicle, according to police. Springfield Police Cpl. Michael Gilderdale was the arresting officer. Lt. Mark Fountain with the Springfield Police Department said on Thursday, May 5 that the justice center on Main Street kept the Jeep parked in an open-access municipal lot with no security gate. Driend allegedly drove out of the lot with the vehicle, which was later located in North Springfield and returned to the center, Fountain said. Police arrested Driend at noon on Wednesday, April 6 in Springfield and took him into custody. He was lodged in jail with no possibility of bail due to probation violations, according to the press release. The burglary charge, on Title 13 VSA 1201 (a), is a felony. The charge of operating without an owner’s consent, Title 23 VSA 1094 (a) is a misdemeanor, all according to the lieutenant. The penalty for both charges will be determined by the judge and state’s attorney, and may come with jail time and / or fines, he said. Driend has been cited to appear on May 31 to face the charges in Windsor County Superior Court, Criminal Division, in White River Junction.