Tatro Agrees to Drug Plea Deal
Former Hartford Board Member Given One Year Probation
White River Junction — Former Hartford selectboard member Reggie Tatro was sentenced this week to one year on probation, plus time he already served in prison, for a federal drug offense during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Burlington.
Lawyers said after the hearing that Tatro, who pleaded guilty to a charge of having a package of hydrocodone mailed to him in November 2010, was motivated by his own addiction to prescription medication. Tatro still has pending state criminal charges for an unrelated alleged drug offense in December, Hartford police said.
“The investigation revealed that Tatro was addicted to prescription pain medication and was supporting his own habit by selling tablets containing hydrocodone to third parties,” Vermont United States Attorney Tristram Coffin said in a prepared statement.
Tatro’s attorney, George Ostler, confirmed prosecutors’ account, and said Tatro had spent more than two years in drug treatment, a factor that prompted Judge William Sessions to impose a relatively light sentence.
“From our point of view, Judge Sessions took into account Reggie’s outstanding background,” Ostler said. “He’s been drug free since 2010. He’s always been a very hard worker.”
Federal sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of up to six months in prison, Ostler said.
Through Ostler, Tatro declined to comment.
Tatro is still in legal jeopardy.
Acting on information provided by a driver during a traffic stop, Hartford police searched Tatro’s home in Route 14 in December and found marijuana, a “large sum of cash” and several firearms.
Tatro still faces potential state charges stemming from that arrest. A court date has not been scheduled.
That arrest also placed Tatro in violation of his federal conditions of his pre-trial release. He was sent to prison and served 27 days, for which he was given credit in the plea deal finalized on Monday.
Tatro won election to the Selectboard in 2008 but was ousted in 2010 by Bonnie Latham, who won by two votes.
Mark Davis can be reached at mcdavis@vnews.com or 603-727-3304.
