Michael P. Drescher Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Barry Perez, a resident of Lebanon, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for kidnapping an interstate trucker. The sentencing was delivered by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss on June 20, 2025. Following his prison term, Perez will undergo five years of supervised release and is required to pay $44,626 in restitution. The court also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons not credit Perez for time spent detained before sentencing.
The incident occurred on January 13, 2023. Court records reveal that Perez stole a box truck in Lebanon and drove it into Vermont under the influence of illegal drugs. After crashing near Exit 1 on Interstate 89, he forced a tractor-trailer driver to drive him further north using what appeared to be a handgun but was actually a pellet gun. The trucker managed to escape when Perez fell asleep.
Perez was arrested following a standoff in Berlin, Vermont. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the joint efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Vermont State Police, and the Berlin Police Department in resolving the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf prosecuted the case while Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels represented Perez.
