Stephen J. Silva taken into custody by Chittenden County deputies

From a Porch on Church Street to a Decade-Old Warrant

Stephen J. Silva was taken into custody by the Street Crimes Division of the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon in Burlington. Deputies from Chittenden County located the 55-year-old on the front porch of the former Wilson Hotel situated on lower Church Street, a building run as transitional housing by the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS).

When the Street Crimes Unit moved in about 2 p.m., Silva offered no resistance. Court papers show he acknowledged that he was aware of the arrest warrant stemming from a 2016 bank robbery in Woonsocket, R.I. Judge Colin Owyang of the Vermont Superior Court set bail at $20,000 cash, and authorities transported Silva to the Northwest State Correctional Facility located in St. Albans pending arraignment on Tuesday, Detective Lt. Michael Longevin said.

A Long Criminal Trail Across New England

Authorities stated that following his arrest in December 2016 for a Vermont bank heist, Silva had already been linked to a minimum of 18 east coast bank robberies during the preceding months.

Vermont State Police on Dec. 10, 2016 said Silva robbed the Mascoma Savings Bank of $1,140 on Vermont 12 in Hartland. A lone man walked into the bank near U.S. 5 and demanded cash from the teller, Bernice Clark, police said. No weapon was displayed and the man fled on foot, police said.

Acting on an informational tip two days afterward, state officials reported that state troopers searched both Silva’s vehicle and his room at the Super 8 motel in White River Junction. Evidence, including the clothing worn during the robbery was recovered, police said. Court documents revealed his past criminal history as a convicted felon, which included a previous Massachusetts armed robbery conviction alongside a larceny and robbery offense in Connecticut. Law enforcement noted that the black Toyota Solara Silva was operating had been stolen out of Massachusetts, and the Connecticut registration plate affixed to it during the inspection was likewise stolen.

Federal Prison Time and Supervised Release Violations

He was charged in state court and eventually the case was taken over by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont. Court documents indicate that Silva ultimately pleaded guilty to transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines, while prosecutors dropped two bank robbery counts as part of the plea agreement. Records indicate that an October 2016 heist at the Brattleboro TD Bank was connected to one of the dismissed counts. The robber stole $990 from the teller.

Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford (then holding the title) ordered a 57-month prison term, suggesting that Silva complete the time at the federal correctional facility in Danbury, Conn., with a subsequent three-year term of supervised release. Federal court records indicate that Crawford later mandated 10 hours of community service for Silva after determining he had smoked marijuana on at least four occasions while on supervised release between January 2021 and September 2023.

Arraignment and Current Custody Status

Recently acquired intelligence regarding an active 2016 arrest warrant out of Woonsocket, R.I., for a bank robbery alerted the Chittenden County Street Crimes Division that Silva was operating inside the Burlington region, Detective Paul McManus explained. Chittenden County Sheriff Dan Gamelin noted that following an exhaustive inquiry, authorities successfully tracked Silva down to the Church Street site.