Vermont Business Magazine Colonel Matthew T Birmingham, Director of the Vermont State Police, today released the following statement regarding criminal charges (see below) filed against a former state trooper:
“The charges against former state trooper Giancarlo DiGenova, as outlined in court documents, represent an extraordinary betrayal of the public trust, his oath as a sworn police officer, and his law enforcement colleagues who serve the state with honor every day.
“I know that all Vermonters are angry and disappointed. So am I. Your outrage is appropriate. But I also want you to know that the system worked best when someone is determined to commit crimes by abusing their power and trust. The actions of the ex-police officer were discovered by their peers, who reported it to supervisors. We began an intensive, lengthy, and thorough investigation that led to the filing of serious criminal charges. And we have reviewed our policies and procedures, making changes where necessary and increasing the supervision already established.
“It is important to note that the evidence in criminal cases was never compromised. The police officer’s conduct involved personal items that had been seized or surrendered.
“As a result of our review of internal processes, the state police have taken the following actions:
- Reviewed all policies related to property storage and made revisions where necessary to maximize accountability and control.
- Conducted a physical assessment of the property storage areas at each barracks.
- I conducted a full audit of the personal property temporary storage areas and identified no concerns beyond minor administrative issues.
- Began a process of adding individually locked storage containers for property that will have limited access.
- Surveillance cameras were added to the barracks, including increased visibility of evidence and property storage areas.
- All property has been and will continue to be controlled by the FileOnQ evidence and property management system which relies on barcodes to track the movement of all items.
“The men and women who honorably wear the uniform of the Vermont State Police make me proud every day. I know I speak for each one of them when I say we have absolutely no tolerance for those who tarnish our insignia, whose actions bring discredit to the work they do. we do., who are taking advantage of the considerable responsibilities they have as Vermont State Troopers. They will be held accountable in a court of law.”
CASE #: Multiple (see below)
RANK/SOLDIER FULL NAME: Detective Sgt. Jesse Robson, Detective Sgt. Amber Keener, Detective Trooper Matthew Chin, Motor Vehicle Enforcement and Security Division, Lt. Daniel Merchand
STATION: Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations – Headquarters
CONTACT#: 802-244-8727
DATE/TIME: June 2021 to November 2022
INCIDENT LOCATION: Various locations in Chittenden and Washington counties
VIOLATIONS:
- Case No. 22B1007703:
- grand theft
- dereliction of duty
- False information to the police
- unprofessional conduct
- Case No. 23A3000233:
- petty theft
- sale of stolen property
- dereliction of duty
- Case No. 23A3000813:
- petty theft
- fraud or deception
- dereliction of duty
- Case No. 23MV000388:
- false oath
- dereliction of duty
- Applications to be under oath
DEFENDANT: Giancarlo DiGenova
AGE: 44
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Essex, VT
INCIDENT SUMMARY:
Following an investigation that began in December, on Monday, March 20, 2023, Vermont State Police cited a former State Trooper for multiple felonies and misdemeanors related to the theft of items in November from a property storage room. staff at Williston Barracks. Additionally, the State Police investigation into the conduct of Giancarlo DiGenova, 44, of Essex, uncovered additional instances of theft of personal property from storage areas, using his position as State Trooper to gain access to these rooms. safe.
DiGenova, who was most recently assigned as a highway trooper at Williston Barracks, was placed on paid duty release status on December 19, 2022. The suspension occurred following the discovery that a bag containing valuables belonging to a person that he had detained in late November was no longer accountable in the personal property storage room, and that he had disappeared on a day when DiGenova had accessed the room multiple times. The bag contained more than $40,000 worth of items, including diamond earrings, a Rolex watch, a designer-brand wallet and keychain, and Apple AirPods wireless headphones. A colleague of the trooper, privy to the missing property, later informed supervisors that DiGenova had shown him a Rolex that DiGenova claimed to have purchased on eBay. Through an investigation, Vermont State Police recovered the Rolex, valued at around $14,000, from the home of a DiGenova relative in Massachusetts. The rest of the property is still missing. The charges in this case (22B1007703) are grand theft, dereliction of duty, false information to the police, and unprofessional conduct.
During the investigation, state police learned of additional cases of missing property from storage areas DiGenova had accessed. Additional detectives were assigned to the case to pursue these cases. According to court documents supporting the criminal charges, DiGenova took a bag containing seized cell phones in June 2021 from a secure personal property storage area at the Berlin barracks and subsequently attempted to sell two of the devices at a kiosk. automated at the University Mall in South. Burlington. DiGenova successfully completed a transaction. Evidence shows he falsely marked the cellphones as “destroyed” in the state police’s evidence and property inventory tracking system. The charges in this case (23A3000233) are petty theft, sale of stolen property, and dereliction of duty. As elements of this case occurred in Chittenden and Washington counties, separate criminal prosecutions will take place in both jurisdictions.
In another case uncovered by VSP, detectives found that during a response by DiGenova to a May 2022 call about a disturbance involving a minor at a private residence in Bolton, he took possession of several bottles of ADHD medication prescribed to the minor and is believed to have stolen several of the pills. The charges in this case (23A3000813) are petty theft, fraud or deception, and dereliction of duty.
Additionally, during the investigation, police reviewed DiGenova’s state email account and discovered that he was conducting VIN checks on behalf of a household member’s auto registration business. Although these VIN verification checks are required to be performed by personally inspecting the vehicle, DiGenova testified to completing two physical checks on out-of-state vehicles without even seeing the vehicles involved. This case was investigated by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement and Safety Division. The charges in this case (23MV000388) are two counts of false oath, dereliction of duty, and requests to swear an oath.
DiGenova was a soldier from 2009 until he resigned on February 7, 2023. His assignments included the Williston, Middlesex and Bradford Barracks, and the Narcotics Investigative Unit.
On Monday morning, March 20, 2023, DiGenova turned himself in to Royalton Barracks for processing on multiple charges. He was taken into custody, fingerprinted, photographed, and released with subpoenas to appear in the Vermont Superior Court Criminal Division in Burlington at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, March 23, and in Barre at 8:30 a.m. Thursday April 6.
Vermont State Police worked closely during this investigation with the VSP Technology Investigation Unit and the Chittenden County State Attorney’s Office, along with the Washington County State Attorney’s Office and the Division of Enforcement and DMV security. The Boston Police Department also provided assistance.
More information about this investigation is in the probable cause affidavits, which will be filed with the court and made public after DiGenova’s arraignment hearings. Members of the media should call the offices of the court clerks to confirm the details of the process.
WATERBURY, Vt. (Monday, March 20, 2023) — Vermont State Police