INDICTMENTS
Tuesday, May 13
Riely Anderson, 30, of Hancock, was indicted on one count of possession of a controlled drug and two counts of simple assault on a law enforcement officer. Prosecutors allege Anderson possessed crack cocaine on Jan. 10 in Bennington after having previously been convicted of a qualifying drug offense. He is also accused of causing unprivileged physical contact or bodily injury to Bennington Police Chief Horne and Bennington Police Officer Cote while the officers were acting in the line of duty. The possession charge is a class A felony punishable by 7 1/2 to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. The assault charges are class A misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 on each count.
Joshua Phillips, 45, of Francestown, was indicted on one count of second-degree assault, domestic violence, and one count of simple assault. Prosecutors allege that during the week of Dec. 11 in Francestown, Phillips grabbed his son by the neck and squeezed with sufficient force to restrict blood circulation. He is also accused of knowingly causing unprivileged physical contact to a child under 13 years old by grabbing his son by the neck and slamming him against a wall. The second-degree assault charge is a class B felony punishable by 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison and a fine of up to $4,000. The simple assault charge is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
