Barre Couple Charged in Federal Court with Drug and Gun Crimes
Barre, VT - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that David Tom, 37, and Tiffany Fisk, 32, who are married and both of Barre, Vermont, were arrested yesterday. A federal grand jury had previously charged Tom with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The same grand jury returned an indictment alleging Fisk had distributed controlled substances on multiple occasions. The United States has requested that both Tom and Fisk remain detained pending trial.
According to court records, Tom and Fisk were both in a vehicle that was stopped by Vermont State Police on January 28, 2022, in Barre. The stop occurred because of a suspected invalid registration and an inoperable taillight. At the time of the stop, both Fisk and Tom appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant. A K9 alerted on the vehicle, and officers observed drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. During a subsequent search, a small backpack was located in the rear of the vehicle near where Tom had been seated. A Hi Point .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun was inside the backpack. Also, drug paraphernalia for smoking cocaine base was in the same backpack. At the time of the traffic stop, Tom was subject to conditions of release in multiple pending State of Vermont criminal matters and was subject to a 24-hour curfew.
The grand jury’s indictment in Fisk’s case alleges she distributed fentanyl on two occasions in October of 2021 and distributed cocaine base on January 25, 2022.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Fisk and Tom remain presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime. Tom faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. Fisk faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Montpelier Police Department. He also thanked the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their vital assistance in apprehending both Tom and Fisk.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Tom is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Fisk is represented by John Mabie, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. See https://www.justice.gov/psn
