Chester man pleads not guilty to bank robbery

A Chester man has pleaded “not guilty” in connection with a bank robbery of nearly $2,500 that took place in Springfield.

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2017-02-18 / Front Page Print article Print Chester man pleads not guilty to bank robbery By TORY JONES toryb@eagletimes.com Darrell Barror and defense attorney Leah Henderson in Windsor County Superior Court Friday, Feb. 17 during Barror's arraignment on charges stemming from a bank robbery that he is suspected of committing in Springfield on Wednesday. — TORY JONES Darrell Barror and defense attorney Leah Henderson in Windsor County Superior Court Friday, Feb. 17 during Barror's arraignment on charges stemming from a bank robbery that he is suspected of committing in Springfield on Wednesday. — TORY JONES WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A Chester man has pleaded “not guilty” in connection with a bank robbery of nearly $2,500 that took place in Springfield. Darrell Barror, 35, is charged with larceny from a person and grand larceny in connection with an armed robbery on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at a Citizens Bank branch. In his initial hearing on Friday, Feb. 17 at Windsor County Superior Court, Barror’s attorney, Leah Henderson, stated that her client had “significant ties” to the community, has lived in Vermont all his life, and that evidence was not strong enough to warrant $100,000 bail imposed on Barror at the time of his arrest. The main piece of evidence in the State of Vermont’s case against Barror is a “very, very unclear photograph,” Henderson said at the hearing. “It is hard to tell who the person is in that photograph,” she said. “That’s all the state has.” Henderson also mentioned Barror’s lengthy criminal record was from 17 years ago, and asked for reduced bail. She also noted that Barror owns a piece of undeveloped property in South Londonderry, although there is no place to live on the property. Deputy State Attorney David Cahill asked the court to impose a $100,000 bail, and that Barror abide by bail conditions including 24-hour curfew at his residence, that he not go near Citizens Bank, and that he have no access to weapons. He also mentioned, due to Barror’s prior criminal record, that he may have a high likelihood to not abide by any court order. “He doesn’t have a stable residence,” Cahill said. Barror has a criminal record in Vermont and West Virginia in addition to a record in the federal system, has no record of employment, and appears to be a flight risk, Cahill said. He had been staying with his grandmother but was recently “couch surfing” at other locations., according to Cahill. Springfield police had arrested Barror on Thursday, Feb. 16 for alleged involvement in the armed robbery at a Citizens Bank in the Springfield Plaza. Police responded to the robbery at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, on reports that a lone male subject had entered the bank and left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to police. A still image taken from surveillance footage depicting a white man with a full beard, moustache and a knit cap covering a baseball cap, and wearing a dark coat and sunglasses, was distributed online by Springfield police. Police sought a warrant for Barror’s arrest Thursday morning on charges of grand larceny and larceny. An affidavit presented by Springfield Police Acting Sgt. Jeremy Fitzgibbons offered probable cause for Barror on both alleged offenses, and described the afternoon that he responded to the bank robbery. Employees at the bank branch had described the person who had just fled the scene as “a male subject, short, skinny, with a scruffy face, wearing a dark colored jacket and dark knit cap,” according to the affidavit. One employee described the male coming in and walking over to a teller station, and that he then heard the man say to the teller, “I’m serious,” just before he saw her hand the man some money, which he stuffed into his pocket before walking out of the bank, according to Fitzgibbons. The teller also described a man walking up to her and telling her to give him all of the loose cash in her drawer, followed by the statement, “I’m serious.” At that point, the teller put the cash from her drawer on the counter and he took it and left, all according to the affidavit. Surveillance footage from the bank allowed for several still images, which were given to police. An audit of the bank teller’s drawer, following the robbery, indicated $2,469 unaccounted for. A police detective, viewing the footage, believed the subject resembled Barror. A Springfield police officer also recognized the subject as Barror. He also located another photo of Barror that appeared to match the image in the still shot. The officer and detective went to an apartment building where Barror is believed to stay at times, met with family members, and checked the apartment. They also obtained positive identification of Barror in the security photos from several different persons, in person and through phone calls to the police station, according to the affidavit. Video footage from a Rite-Aid store nearby also appears to show the same male subject, wearing a bulky coat, heading over a footbridge near the plaza. Local law enforcement agencies were alerted to be on the lookout for the subject and his vehicle. After hearing all evidence, Windsor Superior Court Judge Theresa DiMauro said that due to multiple people identifying Barror from surveillance footage, and also due to his prior convictions including two felony convictions and multiple other violations, and that by his own statement he was “couch surfing” with no permanent residence, that there was a need to set a $75,000 surety bail. She imposed bail conditions as requested by the deputy state attorney, including curfew to a family member’s address on White Street, and that he not possess any firearms or other weapons. Since police apprehended Barror on Thursday, he has been lodged at Southern State Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 bail, which has now been set at $75,000 following Friday’s arraignment. If convicted, the charges carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, according to DiMauro. A new court date has not yet been set.