The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Timothy Durkin, 43, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court in Rutland, Vermont, to serve five years in prison after his guilty plea to maliciously destroying by means of fire real property used in interstate commerce. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Durkin to serve a three year term of supervised release upon his release from prison.
According to court records and proceedings, in the early morning hours of Oct. 27, 2017, Durkin set fire to a building located at 3579 Waterbury-Stowe Road in Waterbury, Vermont. The fire destroyed the entire building. In December 2017, after he was arrested on unrelated charges in Washington County Superior Court, Durkin admitted to the arson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt handled the prosecution. Durkin was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender David L. McColgin. U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont State Police in the investigation and prosecution of Durkin.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
