Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Border Patrol Agent

 The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that, on October 2, 2020, Michael Scaduto, 33, of Littleton, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court in Burlington, to an information that charged him with assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.  Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford allowed Scaduto to continue on release conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for February 5, 2021.

United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan stated:  “As this conviction reflects, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate assaults on those who protect, serve, and put themselves in harm’s way to make Vermont communities safer.  Those who commit such offenses against federal agents will continue to find themselves facing consequences in federal court.  We thank our brave men and women in uniform at all levels of law enforcement for their daily sacrifices in the name of public safety.”

At the guilty plea hearing, Scaduto admitted that, after a U.S. Border Patrol Agent had pulled Scaduto over on Route 105 in the vicinity of Richford, Vermont, Scaduto got out of his vehicle and approached the U.S. Border Patrol Agent.  Scaduto gesticulated and shouted at the Border Patrol Agent, and grabbed the Border Patrol Agent in the area of his shoulders and forcibly interfered with the Border Patrol Agent while the Border Patrol Agent was engaged in the performance of his official duties.

At sentencing, Scaduto faces a maximum possible term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $100,000.00.  In the plea agreement, the United States and Scaduto have agreed to recommend that the Court impose a $3,000 fine and that Scaduto perform 50 hours of community service.  The United States indicated that it would seek a sentence of incarceration for Scaduto, which Scaduto indicated he would oppose. 

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman.  Scaduto is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.