The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Rashad Nashid, 38, of Burlington, VT, made his initial appearance today in the United States District Court in Burlington, following his arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy detained Nashid pending trial.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 2018, outside of Nectars and Esox on Main Street in Burlington, the defendant, a convicted felon, was approached by an unknown male he knew from an altercation approximately one year prior. The defendant pulled out a gun and shot at the male in order to make the male “back down." The bullet instead struck an innocent bystander who happened to be standing on the sidewalk near the defendant. The bystander was taken to the UVM Medical Center where she remains. The defendant was arrested a short time later and found in possession of the firearm. The defendant has multiple previous felony convictions in New Jersey.
The United States Attorney, Christina E. Nolan, emphasized that the charge against Nashid is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until his is proven guilty.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
The case is being investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. Nashid is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy G. Fuller.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
