The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reports that Ryan Goodrich, 38, of Athens, Vermont was sentenced to five years in federal prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release by the United States District Court in Rutland on December 20, 2023 after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.
On December 15, 2023, he was convicted in Windham Superior Court on State charges for taking deer in closed season, possession of heroin, possession of a narcotic, and driving on a suspended driver’s license. He was sentenced to serve 59-60 days, pay $835 in fines and to pay $2,000 in Fish and Wildlife restitution.
In late winter of 2021, the Vermont Warden Service began an investigation of Goodrich for hunting while under revocation after receiving a tip from officers of the Bellows Falls Police Department. During the investigation, wardens obtained information that Goodrich, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was in possession of a short-barrel shotgun and that it was likely at his residence. Wardens coordinated with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and executed a search warrant at his rented camper in Athens on March 3, 2022.
During the search, wardens located and seized the loaded short-barrel shotgun, six additional firearms, 2,978 rounds of ammunition, 880 bags of heroin, and over $7,045 in US currency. Goodrich was not at the residence when the warrant was executed, but documents in his name were found during the search.
Goodrich was then indicted by a federal grand jury on March 10, 2022, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Vermont Warden Service worked with federal agents and several agencies in Vermont and surrounding states to apprehend Goodrich.
In early April 2022, the Vermont Warden Service obtained information that Goodrich was likely staying at a hotel in the Keene, New Hampshire area. On April 9, 2022, the Keene New Hampshire Police Department executed a search warrant at a hotel where they believed Goodrich was staying. Goodrich was not in the hotel room at the time of the warrant, but officers found documents inside the hotel room indicating Goodrich was staying there.
On April 19, 2022, the Vermont Warden Service obtained information that Goodrich had fled to the Deerfield, Massachusetts area and was attempting to obtain transportation to Texas. After coordinating with the Greenfield and Deerfield Massachusetts Police Departments it was determined that Goodrich was staying at a hotel in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was apprehended later that day with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police. Goodrich was extradited back to Vermont to face charges and has been in custody since his arrest.
“The Vermont Warden Service would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office in Burlington, the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Unit, the Vermont State Police, the Windham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellows Falls Police Department, the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department, the Greenfield, Massachusetts Police Department, the Deerfield, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police for their assistance in this case,” said Colonel Justin Stedman, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s Chief Game Warden.