Tuesday March 12, 2013

BRATTLEBORO -- Two of the seven men charged in a burglary spree that included dozens of thefts and break-ins around Windham County pleaded guilty Friday to reduced charges in separate agreements.

Travis Noyes, 21, of Saxtons River, and Christopher Goldschmidt, 19, of Athens, will be sentenced at later hearings. Noyes faces a potential sentence of six to 10-years behind bars, with all of it suspended except for one year. Goldschmidt is set for a contested sentencing hearing.

Goldschmidt, Noyes and their five co-defendants were charged in Windham Superior Court: Criminal Division with a multitude of burglaries. Sixty of the crimes took place in Vermont, 30 occurred in New Hampshire and the remainder happened in Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia.

Goldschmidt pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding in the commission of a felony for burglaries at Pleasant Valley Brewing and The Dish on Main (both in Saxtons River) and at Emerson Small Engine in Rockingham. All the crimes took place in 2011.

Noyes pleaded guilty to the two misdemeanor charges of violating his court-imposed curfew and two felony counts of burglary and two counts of aiding the commission of a felony.

Deputy State’s Attorney Steve Brown said Criscenzo Ruggiero, 21, of Westminster, pleaded guilty for his role in the burglaries and is serving a 12-month sentence.

According to an affidavit from Vermont State Senior Trooper Steven R. Otis, an

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investigation revealed that people had forced open a rear door of The Dish on Main, a restaurant, and rummaged through the business, damaging a cash register. It appeared, however, that they did not steal anything.

Ruggiero later said he was with Goldschmidt and Lance Thomas -- one of the other defendants -- when the three decided to break into the restaurant. He said Thomas had pried open the cash register but there was nothing inside. According to Ruggiero, the trio left when they heard the alarm.

According to the affidavit, Trooper Bryson Lunderville investigated a reported burglary at Emerson’s Small Engine, a small engine and snowmobile repair shop on Rockingham Road. It appeared the perpetrators had forced their way in by prying open a rear door, but nothing was taken. The affidavit also stated that someone had forced entry into Pleasant Valley Brewing, a pub, and took $80 in cash and five bottles of alcohol from the bar. Ruggiero said he was with Goldschmidt and Thomas when they decided to break into the pub.

Domenic Poli can be reached at dpoli@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 277. You can follow him on Twitter @dpoli_reformer.