Two Rutland convenience stores hit by similar robberies a week apart, U.S. Attorney’s office says

Two press releases from the U.S. Attorney for Vermont’s office allege a man and a woman over the past two weeks separately committed convenience store armed robberies in Rutland.

The incidents illustrate that Vermont cities outside Burlington are struggling with serious crimes.

Jiffy Mart located at 215 North Main St.

David R. Markie, 40, of Rutland, was arrested on Oct. 5 for “interfering with commerce by robbery” at the Jiffy Mart store located at 215 North Main St. The alleged robbery occurred Oct. 3.

“Markie is alleged to have worn a lime-green face covering in the store while displaying a knife and demanding cash from the register. Investigators were able to locate the distinctive mask and to link Markie to discarded clothing consistent with the clothing worn by the robber,” the release states.

The prosecutor in the case is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Markie is to be represented by a federal public defender.

One week earlier, on Sept. 25, a young woman was charged in a robbery of a separate convenience store just about a mile away. Ashley Lobdell, 25, also of Rutland, is alleged to have robbed the Jolley Mart store located at 128 Grove Street.

Lobdell allegedly used a steak knife during the incident.

“Lobdell is alleged to have displayed a large steak knife to the clerk, and demanded cash from the register,” the release states. Investigators used the surveillance video from around the area of the crime to determine her identity.

Ophardt will be the prosecutor for this case, and Lobdell is being represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest is noted in the release to have praised the collaborative efforts of the local police and Homeland Security Investigations of both incidents.

Both suspects have not yet been formally convicted of any crime yet, and thus are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Each could face up to two decades in jail if convicted.

Markie and Lobdell appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.

Rutland Police have not suffered a major defunding effort like that seen in Burlington. Even so, “crimes like robbery, car theft, burglary and stealing from vehicles and stores went up in 2021 from 2020, but some violent crimes like aggravated assault and forcible rape decreased, according to the Rutland City Police Department crime statistics for last year,” the Rutland Herald reported earlier this year.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

2 thoughts on “Two Rutland convenience stores hit by similar robberies a week apart, U.S. Attorney’s office says

  1. Here is another point that people are missing.
    Here we are in a worker shortage and many areas and places are no longer even safe to work in at night.
    There are tons of people that need to work at night, and we need places open at night.
    We cannot wind up living in a place where nothing is open at night anymore because they can’t find staff.. this is surely Not Progress.

    There are also a lot of jobs that people don’t even want to do anymore because they are so unsafe now.

    Ya know everyone, we are moving into being a “Zero Trust Society” and we are not going to like this at all..
    Who wants to live in razor wire protected communities surrounded by armed guards.. do you call that “Living”??
    And yet this is where all of what we see going on leads too.. this is what goes on in other countries and now we are going to wind up w this here too.

    This crime wave is entirely being created by insanely wrong and downright delusional people on the Left- and the Right has been completely nutless and failed entirely to stop the trainwreck they’ve unleashed on us.

    Criminals are not good people, we shouldn’t enable them or feel sorry for them, we should throw their asses in Jail.. that is how we have Less Criminals.
    Then we need to rebuild the Family instead of making such efforts to destroy families.. then we’d have less criminals because more kids would be growing up in well functioning, intact families.

    The Democrats are truly The Party of Destruction.. when you get this, you can see their destruction everywhere.. vote them ALL OUT and elect fighters that actually plan on doing something about all of this mess.

  2. Emboldened criminals, you bet why ??

    Because of the lack of police support ” defunding” and lack of severe prosecution
    from our liberal prosecutors, you vote these fools in, be it your city council members
    or state attorneys !!

Comments are closed.